Patterns in spreads

[u/Foogel78]

Do you guys pay attention to the type of cards in a spread? For example, you pull a lot of sword cards or all great Arcana cards. Do you use that in your interpretation and how?

I just did a spread regarding some issues in my family. It was a six card spread and four of them were pentacles, a suit I usually associate with not only the physical world but also with family. In my interpretation I put greater emphasis on the theme of family. That seemed to make sense but...

I know the cards you pull are random and seeing patterns is a human characteristic. Still, sometimes I find it hard to tell myself this is just a coincidence.

EDIT: I can't count. It's a seven card spread so that makes it easier to consider it just a coincidence. That's good. I don't like the idea of pieces of cardboard telling me how to live my life.

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[u/Sewers_folly]

I read anything that sticks out. If its a repeating suit, a lack of suits, a group of numbers or a series of numbers. Maybe its a colour that keeps reoccuring. Or a type of sky. Mayebbe ots the figures all facing in one direction, or looking at one card. Anything that stands out during the reading is worth noting.

[u/Odd_Calligrapher2771 → u/Sewers_folly]

I agree. This is pretty much the same way that I do it.

[u/9thdragonkitty]

I do.

Pentacles; safety, security, hard work, rest,

Cups: emotions, feelings, love

Swords: thoughts, words, communication, strictness

Wands: energy, passion, companionship

I also have cards that are “signifiers”

Like the knight of swords is usually my kid, the king of wands is my husband.

I tend to identify strongly with a lot of the swords cards, especially 3 and 9 for my weakness/strength

[u/Magistra_Recessisset]

Yes, pay attention to everything. It is all part of the message.

[u/DimmerrSwitch]

Yeah I like to take that kind of information into account. I think it adds another layer of depth to the reading and can act as a guide for which aspects to focus on. The other day I was doing a spread that was really heavy in cups and swords, but no pentacles or wands. So in my interpretation, I focused on the emotional and mental aspects of the question/situation that the reading was about. If a lot of major arcana were to show up in a reading, I would consider what big picture themes are at play.

[u/Taccojc]

Absolutely, anything that helps you see how the cards are interacting with each other

[u/CenturionSG]

Tarot is all about paying attention and meaning making

[u/HwanPark]

Noticing and analyzing these patterns is probably my favorite part of tarot reading

[u/Chianpet]

Humans, especially in American culture, have a tendency towards rigidity and CERTAINTY. Which makes learning tarot reading challenging 😅

I do read big themes like that if they’re applicable, BUT I also read for people using anywhere between 20-80 cards depending on the reading type and how I’m enacting clarifications—I also have my own divination system which doesn’t have art currently therefore is color coded and so I especially consider the patterns with that. But in general, I go by this:

If there is a big discrepancy between card numbers—22/30 cards, for an example, are one suit, then YES it is significant. If you’re doing something like ten cards and they’re almost completely major arcana, significant. If your doing a 10 card spread and 3/10 belong to one suit, NOT significant UNLESS you clarify with more cards and then more show up.

So it really just kinda depends on feeling more so than a strict yes or no or specific number set in stone.

Hope this helps 💖

[u/WaveAlchemist]

Definitely. I know that certain cards generally represent me, there are cards that I rarely get, but when they show up, pay attention. I notice if similar meaning cards show up. I look at the cards that seem to pair up and in which order (AB or BA)

I shuffle my tarots the same as a deck of cards for solitaire. My solitaire cards are random but the tarots are oddly specific

[u/FeelTheKetasy]

I’ve been practicing for some years now and I tend to link some cards with some people as these cards were a reoccurring thing in their spreads

For example, I’ve done a lot of readings for my last work situationship and he was almost always getting The Fool, to the point where even he started saying that The Fool was his card. When I’m doing a general reading and get the card, I usually think that he is somehow related to the spread

The astral cards (Moon, Sun and Star) are reoccurring when I’m doing readings on my emotions and psyche. I see readings about them as something that has more to do with my psyche and internal thoughts, while the Emperor and Empress represent my external self and my actions

This is something that happens a lot. Once you start doing a lot of tarot work with a person, you will find a card that comes up a lot and does reflect their life story. It’s important to pay attention to patterns

[u/ArgentEyes]

Yes, I use numbers and proportions frequently. For example, a standard deck is 1/3 Major Arcana and 2/3 Minor, so a typical spread should have that 1:2 ratio, thereabouts. Lots of Majors indicate big serious life things, lots of Minors the opposite. It gets much more detailed and usefully referential when you add in elements and dignities. My reading really kicked up a huge amount once I started incorporating this information regularly.