One, Two, Three, Tarot:

Three-Card Spreads
for Beginning to Advanced Readers
Emmie McKellen
Contents
Introduction
Why three cards?
How to use this book
Structure of the Tarot
Reading for yourself
Reading for others
Card meanings in spreads
Expanding three-card spreads
Intuitive three-card reading
Three-Card Spreads
Yes or No
Past, Present, Future
Sequential Future
Sequential Past
Cause and Solution
Triple Mirror
Basic Relationship Spread
Little Dipper
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Stay or Go?
Angel's Wings
Roadblock Spread
Moon Spread
Talent Spread
Rain, River, Ocean
Iceberg Spread
Body, Mind and Soul
Lovers’ Connection
Job Spread
Alchemical Spread
Descending Priorities Spread
Battery Spread
End of the Day Reflection
Tomorrow Spread
Known and Unknown
Bridge Spread
Head, Heart, and Guts
New Year's Spread
New Acquaintance Spread
Pet Spread
Bad Habits Spread
Long Weekend
Right Hand, Left Hand
Betrayal Spread
Strength and Weakness
Compromise Spread
Relationship Scorecard
Secrets Spread
Fork in the Road
Quick Career Reading
Good, Better, Best
Open Book Spread
Cycles Spread
Gossip Spread
Wants and Needs
Stoplight Spread
Work, Rest, and Play
 Introduction
In this book, you'll find 47 three-card spreads designed to get you started
reading the cards. If you’re already an experienced reader, these layouts will
bring fresh ideas to your current Tarot practice.
Why three cards?
Tarot readings can vary in complexity from a simple one-card draw, to
elaborate spreads that use the entire deck. I still use giant spreads on special
occasions, or when faced with a particular ornery problem. But for most
purposes, a three-card reading is just the right length. Three cards are usually
enough to summarize the “who,” “what,” and “why” of any situation. Three-
card readings can be performed in just moments, without the need to clear off
an entire tabletop or refer to elaborate diagrams. Paring down your readings
will give you clear, unambiguous answers to your questions. Three cards can
tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it--without giving
you information overload.
If you read for others, you’ll find that interpreting and discussing three cards
takes between ten and twenty minutes—ideal for readings given at parties or
over the phone. Professional readers will agree that three-card readings fit
most client’s attention spans and capacity for information.
Three is also considered a mystical number in many of the world's spiritual
traditions. In Tarot, the number three belongs to the Empress—ruler of
abundance and fertility. When you see all the possibilities of three-card
spreads, you'll appreciate how apt this attribution is.
How to use this book
The Tarot spreads given in this book range from the general to the
specialized. A few layouts—like the Past, Present, Future spread—are
classics that seasoned readers will have encountered before, but are too good
to leave out of this collection. The rest are original creations that I've tested
and found useful. The following few pages contain an overview of the
structure and use of the Tarot intended for beginners. Experienced readers
can skip this section and get right to the spreads.
Structure of the Tarot
A standard Tarot deck is comprised of 78 cards. The cards are divided into a
Major Arcana (“great mysteries”) and Minor Arcana (“lesser mysteries”).
The cards in the Major Arcana--also known as trumps or keys--form a series
of universal archetypes. The Minor Arcana, or small cards, represent human
beings and their more mundane struggles and triumphs. The Minor Arcana is
further divided into four suits, corresponding to the four classical elements.
These are wands, cups, swords, and pentacles (or variations of these
emblems). There are 14 cards in each suit: the numbers one through ten, and
a King, Queen, Knight and Page. The historic origins and esoteric
significance of the Tarot are beyond the scope of this short book, but there is
a wealth of information available, should you wish for further study.
The line drawings on the cover are from the Rider-Waite deck (increasingly
known as the Waite-Smith deck in recognition of the illustrator, Pamela
Colman Smith). These are the Tarot images familiar to most people. First
published in 1904, the Waite deck is still the top-selling Tarot deck, and the
best place to begin one's study of the Tarot. Hundreds, if not thousands, of
decks have been based on it, with themes ranging from angels to zombies.
There is also a wide array of oracle decks, cousins of the Tarot which use a
different structure or number of cards. The spreads in this book will work
with any Tarot deck or oracle deck—even ordinary playing cards, if you
know how to read them.
Reading for yourself
Despite what some people say, you can do your own readings—provided you
are willing to be honest and objective with yourself. In fact, I will venture to
say that you are always your own best reader. Only you know your whole
history and have access to your own personal dictionary of symbols. This is
a powerful position from which to approach the cards, and certainly
compensates for any blind spots caused by wishful thinking. If you let it, the
Tarot can tell you everything about yourself that you could want to know.
The basic procedure for doing a Tarot reading is as follows: Begin by doing
whatever practice gets you into a calm, centered state. This could mean
putting on comfortable clothes, lighting a candle, or engaging in a few
moments of meditation or prayer. If you want to call upon any higher beings
such as the Gods, angels, or ancestors, do that now. At the very minimum,
take a couple of deep breaths to relax your body and quiet your mind. Ask
that the information you seek be revealed to you, according to the highest
good. Next, formulate a question. It can be general or specific. (If you're
not facing a specific issue, try, “What do I need to know right now?”) It may
be helpful to state your question out loud, or write it down. If you're using a
spread, choose one that fits your question or reason for doing the divination.
The first spreads given in this book are general ones that will work for almost
any purpose.
Next, shuffle or mix your deck. Some people like to shuffle or cut the cards a
specific number of times, three or seven—alternatively, you can simply
shuffle until you feel that they are well mixed.
Finally, deal and interpret the cards. Deal them all face up, or deal them face
down and turn them over one at a time as they're considered. Then, using a
book, your intuition, or any other resource you choose, interpret them
according to their positions in the spread. Notice everything you can about
them. Consider the figures, the colors, the symbols, the numbers and words
on the cards. Gaze at the images and see what they suggest to you. If you're
new to the Tarot, it may be helpful to have a book of traditional meanings
nearby for reference. (It's also a good idea to have a notebook handy.) Take
as long as you need. When you're done, thank the Tarot and any helpers
you've called upon, and shuffle the deck.
Reading for others
Once you've gained some practice reading for yourself, it's not too difficult to
make the leap toward reading for others. The method is the same. When I
read for someone else, I like to sit next to the person, rather than across the
table. It feels friendlier, and lets us both look at the cards from the same
direction. Shuffle the cards, then hand them to the querent. Some people say
this transfers the person's energy to the cards—I like that it gets the querent
involved and makes the reading a collaborative effort. Ask him or her to
focus on the question while cutting the cards as many times as feels right.
(You can ask the person to tell you the question, or rely on the cards to
summarize the issue for you.) Then take the deck back, and deal the cards.
Three-card readings are ideal for querents who are unfamiliar with the Tarot.
Short spreads allow Tarot virgins to get a glimpse of how card reading works
without overwhelming them with new images and ideas. These quick
readings are easy and fun! But remember, whether you're doing Tarot in
exchange for money or just for friends and family, reading for others comes
with a huge ethical responsibility. For most people, Tarot and the psychic
arts are mysterious, even sinister. The proclamations and predictions you
make carry real weight for those who come to you for advice. Be honest
about what you see in the cards, but end each reading on a positive note.
Deal additional cards, if necessary, in order to get to something constructive.
No future is set in stone, and there is always a way to improve the situation,
no matter how dire it seems.
When reading for others, you may wish to invite your querent to look at the
cards themselves. If they're willing, encourage them to offer their own
interpretations, or simply to express their reactions to the images. You can
do this before you give your reading, or afterward. Often people who have
never studied the cards have the freshest, most amazing insight. Be receptive
to learning, even if you're the one sitting in the reader's seat.
Card meanings in spreads
There are no purely “good” or “bad” cards in the Tarot. Rather, each card
carries all the negative and positive aspects of its nature. “Good” and “bad”
depend on how intensely that nature is expressed and how suited it is to a
particular situation. Consider the very first card in the Tarot, the Fool. This
trump depicts a carefree soul at the very beginning of a vast journey.
Adjectives used to describe the Fool's nature include innocent, bold, and
infinitely creative. But there's a flipside--these same qualities taken to
extremes or put in the wrong context result in a person who is immature,
reckless, and unfocused. How are we supposed to know which meaning to
use?
Some readers use the standard meanings for the cards dealt in an upright
position, and let reversed cards represent the negative or shadow side of each
card. Other readers use a system of elemental and astrological
correspondences to determine how well a particular card “gets along” with
other cards in the spread. Still others don't use any particular system, but go
with their intuition regarding whether a card is acting in its negative or
positive aspects. Needless to say, all this mutability can get complicated, but
it's also what allows the Tarot to speak with such accuracy and nuance to the
skilled reader.
Using Tarot spreads to read the cards is yet another way to modify their
meanings—but it needn't be confusing. Dealing the cards into predetermined
positions will actually give you clues about how to interpret them. A card in
the “advice” position is read according to its highest and best nature.
Likewise, a card landing in the “obstacle” spot invites you to look for its most
problematic aspects.
For example, let's say you're doing a reading about your finances and for
advice, you draw the Five of Pentacles:

The traditional meaning of the Five of Pentacles is poverty, deprivation, and

loss of material goods. Hardly an encouraging card! But we're looking for
advice, the timeless wisdom specific to this card. Perhaps the card is
advising us to embrace a simpler lifestyle (especially if there's not a choice),
and move forward with our plans even in lean times. It may be saying that
hardship, like the winter storm, depicted in the image, is temporary. Or
maybe the card is prompting us to be conscious of people who are less
fortunate than we are. In any case, the usual severity of this card is
diminished by its position in the spread.
On the other hand, say I'm reading for a friend who has a dinner date on
Friday and he wants things to go well. In the “obstacle” position, I find the
High Priestess:
Now, the High Priestess is generally thought to be a “good” card, standing for
spiritual power and deep wisdom. She is the keeper of mysteries, a figure
deserving of reverence and awe. But in a less flattering light, she can also be
seen as aloof, secretive, frigid, or spacey. In this case, I would probably tell
my friend that the Tarot is advising him not to be too cool or withdrawn on
this date. Since I happen to know he loves to argue about theology, I might
also advise him to keep his conversation mundane, at least on the first date,
lest he alienate his dinner guest. Since the High Priestess can represent
hidden information, I could add that there may be something—a problem or
complication—that has not yet been revealed.
Expanding three-card spreads
Brief Tarot spreads, including the Tarot spreads in this book, may be
expanded to provide a more detailed reading. Use this method when you feel
that three cards may not be enough to paint a precise portrait of the situation.
Deal one or two additional cards in each position to expand a three-card
spread to six or nine cards. Each group of cards is then read together, as if it
was a single card.
For instance, the most basic three-card spread looks like this:
Here’s the same spread, expanded to nine cards:

You can also expand a spread after it’s been dealt, pulling additional cards to
help clarify the meaning.
Intuitive three-card reading
The most basic three-card reading method is to simply deal three cards, then
take them together, as a group. Instead of assigning a specific role to each
card, the reader uses his or her intuition to seek out the relationships between
the cards.
The three cards may suggest a sequence of events, or represent a single
moment in time. Sometimes one card will seem to dominate, and the other
two will act as modifiers. There are no rules. When you deal the cards, a
story might leap out at you as soon as they’ve hit the table. Other times, it
may feel more like doing a puzzle than like reading a book. If you get stuck,
go back to basics and ask yourself questions about the cards in front of you.
Are they reversed or upright? Major or Minor Arcana? Does any suit
predominate? Which card has the strongest presence? Are the figures in the
cards facing each other, or turned away? What is the overall mood of the
images? Reading this way takes skill and imagination, but it's great practice
for thinking of cards in relation to each other. Of course, using Tarot spreads
also requires a large measure of intuition and creative thinking—but it gives
you a springboard from which to begin. So without further ado, let’s get on
to the spreads.
 Three-Card Spreads
Yes or No

Phrase your question clearly, in yes or no terms. Shuffle the deck, making
sure that some of the cards are reversed as you mix them. Then deal three
cards, face up. The answer is revealed by how many cards come out upright.
All upright: Strong yes
Two upright: Conditional yes (look at the reversed card for further insight)
Two reversed: Conditional no (look at the upright card for further insight)
All reversed: Strong no
Past, Present, Future

1. What happened in the past

2. The situation as it stands now
3. What might happen in the future
Sequential Future

1. The current situation

2. What will happen next (near future)
3. What will happen eventually (distant future)
Sequential Past

1. What is happening now

2. What happened before that (recent past)
3. What originally led to this situation (distant past)
Cause and Solution

1. Problem, or the issue at hand

2. Its root or cause
3. A possible solution
Triple Mirror

1. How you see yourself

2. How close friends see you
3. How strangers see you
Basic Relationship Spread

1. The relationship, its status or health

2. What one person is contributing
3. What the other person is contributing
Little Dipper

1. Handle: the starting point, what is available now

2. Stem: what can help you reach your goal
3. Bowl: What you will get if you succeed
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

1. The good news

2. The bad news
3. Someone or something that could make the situation worse
Stay or Go?

1. Outcome if you stay

2. Outcome if you go
3. Guidance for your decision, other factors to be considered
Angel's Wings

1. A card describing your angel

2. Left wing: How your angel guides you
3. Right wing: How your angel strengthens or protects you
Roadblock Spread

1. An obstacle you're currently confronting, how the problem appears to you

2 and 3. Underlying causes of the roadblock, what needs to be addressed
Moon Spread

1. Waxing moon: An influence that is increasing in your life

2. Full moon: Dominant influence, what shines brightest now
3. Waning moon: An influence that is diminishing in your life
Talent Spread

1. A talent, skill or ability possessed

2. How you acquired this
3. How you can improve or apply it
Rain, River, Ocean

1. Rain: Luck or circumstances, what is “raining” on you

2. River: Motion, action or direction
3. Ocean: Ultimate outcome, purpose
Iceberg Spread

1. The tip of the iceberg, the part of the issue that is obvious to all
2. Underlying causes or influences, less readily apparent
3. Hidden forces, karma, unknown factors
Body, Mind and Soul

1. Body: Health, energy, sex, appearances

2. Mind: Thoughts and worries
3. Soul: Spirituality, dreams, deep desires
Lovers’ Connection

1. You, at the present time

2. Your lover, at the present time
3. Something that can bring you closer together
Job Spread

1. Work: the nature or volume of work

2. Environment: coworkers, culture, and morale
3. Rewards: pay, benefits, or training received
Alchemical Spread

1. Sulfur: the fiery, active force present in the situation; intiative or drive
2. Mercury:What is changeable , complex, or creative; words and ideas
3. Salt: the stable, tangible part; the manifestation of 1 and 2
Descending Priorities Spread

1. Top priority, something that demands your energy and attention

2. Other obligations, things to do or consider
3. Low priority, distractions, something to ignore
Battery Spread

1. Battery: What energy you're holding in at the moment

2. - Pole: What energy you're receiving
3. + Pole: What energy you're putting out
End of the Day Reflection

1. What kind of day you had today, how you felt overall
2. Something or someone you encountered
3. How you responded to it/them
Tomorrow Spread

1. Outlook, what kind of day to expect

2. Someone or something you will encounter
3. Action or attitude that will help you tomorrow
Known and Unknown

1. The question or situation, in brief terms

2. Obvious influences, forces or events known to the querent
3. Hidden influences, forces or events currently unknown to the querent
Bridge Spread

1. Where you're at, who you currently are

2. Where you'd like to be, who you want to become
3. How you can bridge the gap
Head, Heart, and Guts

1. Head: Conscious thoughts and worries, what is on your mind

2. Heart: Emotions, desires, sense of self
3. Guts: Physical needs, impulses, intuition
New Year's Spread

1. What the past year has brought: a lesson, challenge, or blessing

2. Something you can expect to encounter in the new year
3. Overall advice card, an action or attitude that will help you in the coming
year
New Acquaintance Spread

1. Where this person is coming from, their values or background

2. What drives them, their desires, dreams, and motivation
3. Their relation to you, how they might help or harm you
Pet Spread

1. Who this pet is, nature and character

2. What this pet does, habits and behaviors
3. Thoughts or feelings, what your pet would say if it could talk
Bad Habits Spread

1. A negative habit
2. Effect the habit has on yourself and/or others
3. What can help you break the habit
Long Weekend

1. Friday's forecast
2. Saturday's forecast
3. Sunday's forecast
Right Hand, Left Hand

1. Brain: Your thoughts and/or feelings

2. Right hand (conscious actions)
3. Left hand (unconscious actions)
This spread assumes a dominant right hand, so if you're left-handed, just
swap the two positions.
Betrayal Spread

1. Why you were betrayed

2. How the betrayal is currently affecting you
3. What will help you move on
Strength and Weakness

1. Greatest strength
2. Greatest weakness
3. Greatest untapped resource or talent
Compromise Spread

1. Your point of view

2. Your opponent's point of view
3. What can help you reach an agreement
Relationship Scorecard

1. Your partner, intellectually

2. Your partner, emotionally
3. Your partner, sexually
Secrets Spread

1. A part of yourself that you share openly with others

2. A part that you reveal only to select people
3. A part that you keep hidden, even from yourself
Fork in the Road

1. Where you're at right now

2. One direction you could take
3. A different direction you could take
Quick Career Reading

1. Experience: Skills and knowledge you possess

2. Passion: What you love to do, what will be most fulfilling
3. Opportunity: Potential prospects, overall outlook for your job search
Good, Better, Best

1. A good response to the situation

2. A better action or approach than in 1
3. The best possible response
Open Book Spread

1. Cover: How the situation appears on the surface

2 and 3. Pages: The rest of the story
Cycles Spread

Deal three cards in a clockwise shape to shed light on a repeating cycle in

your life.
1. The beginning of the cycle
2. The middle of the cycle
3. The end phase
Gossip Spread

1. The person or thing being gossiped about

2. The nature of the gossip
3. The truth of the matter
Wants and Needs

1. What you have

2. What you want
3. What you need
Stoplight Spread

1. Green light: Something to pursue with speed

2. Yellow light: Approach this with caution
3. Red light: Something to be avoided
Work, Rest, and Play

1. Work life
2. Home life
3. Leisure and free time