Three-card Tarot spreads are great if you need a quick answer to an uncomplicated question, or are learning to read the Tarot cards and want to practice with a number of fast Tarot spreads and readings. Even for the seasoned Tarot reader, a three-card Tarot reading can help you get back to basics and serve as a reminder that even the most complex situations can have simple answers.
In the following post, I provide you with a number of easy three-card Tarot spreads to get you started. Feel free to mix and match between the suggestions below to create your own three card Tarot spreads. You might even have a few favourites of your own! I’d love to hear more about them, so please leave me a comment.
Understanding a Situation
Past / Present / Future
What will help you / What will hinder you / What is your unrealised potential
The nature of your problem / The cause / The solution
Current situation / Obstacle / Advice
Situation / Action / Outcome
Context of the situation / Where you need to focus / Outcome
What I think about the situation / What I feel / What I do
Where you stand now / What you aspire to / How to get there
What you aspire to / What is standing in your way / How you can overcome this
What you can change / What you can’t change / What you may not be aware of
What worked well / What didn’t work well / Key learnings
Understanding Relationships
You / The other person / The relationship
What you want from the relationship / What they want from the relationship / Where the relationship is heading
What brings you together / What pulls you apart / What needs your attention
Making Choices and Decisions
Strengths / Weaknesses / Advice
Opportunities / Challenges / Outcome
Option 1 / Option 2 / Option 3
Option 1 / Option 2 / What you need to know to make a decision
The solution / An alternative solution / How to choose
Understanding Yourself
Mind / Body / Spirit
Your conscious mind / Your sub-conscious mind / Your super-conscious mind
Material state / Emotional state / Spiritual state
You / Your current path / Your potential
Stop / Start / Continue
What the Universe wants you to be / The personal qualities required / Specific action required
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I have known quite a few women who have sought the skills of a tarot reader to determine whether they will fall pregnant in the future.
Simple,easy to use spreads.
I have used many of these spreads with great success.Simple to use and very easy for beginners.
Hi Wendy,
Glad you have found these easy Tarot spreads helpful! I hope to post more ideas for different Tarot spreads in the near future.
Biddy
I tried the 3 card spread for Situation ,Action,Outcome.My question pertained to relocation -”Wether i would relocate to a foreign land from India ? ”
After shuffling picked 3 cards from top.
1. 6 of Pentacles-Reversed
2. 4 of Wands -Reversed
3. The Hermit-Reversed
In the situation card 6 of pentacles (r)meant i would be giving more than the actual benefits accruing to me post relocation.
In the action situation 4 of wands (r) means possible relocation and a phase of transition in one’s life.
In the advice Hermit (r) means that i may be getting so spirtually inclined that maybe i am isolating myself.
So overall it means that it would be helpful to others if i relocate ,but need to take care of my needs to.But not very sure if the cards are indicating relocation.Any comments ?
Hi Aasheesh. Thanks for sharing your reading. I think you’re right on track. In addition, three out of three reversals to me would indicate a ‘no’ to relocating under present circumstances, or that there are a number of obstacles that stand in your way that need to be dealt with. The reversed Hermit, to me, is a bit like a sign to go back to the drawing board and think this one through at a deeper, perhaps more spiritual level. There’s something you’re missing that you need to be aware of at this deeper level.
Hi, I just pulled out Judgement, The Empress and the Ten of Wands on a self reading. The question was about finishing a piece of creative writing. My interpretation was that I should scrap what I have and start again, but will have difficulty at the end. Am I correct? Or is there another interpretation of this pattern? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Perhaps you need to be more true to yourself and true to your ‘voice’. Sometimes we write to please others, but we lose our own ‘voice’ in the process. The Ten of Wands then shows you working really, really hard to get to the end… and the end is very close! I wouldn’t scrap what you’re doing, but look at it from a different angle. One that is more authentic and genuine.
Hello, just want to ask, if I want to learn tarot reading how long would it take me to know the basic?
Peni, how long is a piece of string?!
It really depends on how much time and energy you can devote to your Tarot studies. You can certainly get the gist of it after a few months or so, but even after 15 years of continuous Tarot study and practice, I am always learning new things!
Dear Brigit,
I have been struggling finding work in the past seven months and I asked the cards “What is it about me that I am not getting hired?” I drew the following cards:
Queen of Rods
Five of Pentacles
King of Cups Reversed
My first thought when I saw this spread is that I may not be applying for the right positions and that I may be emotionally sabottaging my job interviews by coming across as to independent or whatever. I was wondering if you could help me shed some light on this reading?
Sincerely,
Jane
Jane, I would say your interpretation is very fitting for those cards. The Queen of Rods/Wands is the card you want to meditate on – she’s the type of person you want to be more like – strong, independent, confident, oozing with success. The 5 of Pentacles is the sabotage piece and the King of Cups reversed is also the emotional instability. You might also have trouble relating with males in your interviews. Confidence is KEY!
Dear Brigit
I have drawn 3 cards for Option 1 / Option 2 / What do you need to know to make a decision? Option 1 drew The Lovers, Option 2 drew Ace of Cups, and Temperance is the third card.
Option 1 is to stay where I am and Option 2 is to go overseas. I find that the Temperance and Lovers cards are too complex to get a clear picture of what they are saying while I see the Ace of Cups as being an offer or an opportunity.
If I read the interpretations of these cards they tell me that Option 1 finds me trying to make a decision (true), Option 2 is an offer involving a friendship/relationship (true) but what is Temperance telling me?
Kind regards
Diana
Hi Diana. It seems that either option is offering you a lot of positive energy, particularly with how you connect with others emotionally. Yes, the Lovers is about making a choice, but it can also represent a relationship that develops into something very meaningful. Temperance is a sign to have patience and know that this is all about long-term benefit. I almost think you could go either way and it would turn out just fine.
Dear Brigit
Thanks for your prompt reply. I have been reading your website for as long as I can remember and have always been impressed with everything about it – well done!
I got up this morning and decided to try a Horseshoe spread for the first time ever. I shuffled and shuffled for ages (I find it very therapeutic), and turned cards for some to be reversed, and then laid the seven cards out. What is amazing is that the same 3 cards turned up again. The Lovers appeared as The Past, then the Ace of Cups became The Present, and Temperance became The Future. The Outcome card of the spread was Three of Cups, which is one of my favourite tarot cards.
I have to be really honest and say that when I looked at The Lovers card today it seemed to represent my marriage which has fallen apart. My husband loves another man, and I see the “peak” between the two lovers as being him, the third party. We are now separated. The Ace of Cups as the present seems to be my current job in a medical environment, where my intuition and empathy serve me well to save lives. Temperance as The Future tells me that I need to learn to balance my emotions – keep one foot in the water and one foot on the ground. Your words “long-term benefit” and “patience” go hand-in-hand for me – if I can sustain my current job emotionally and physically, there will be a long-term benefit, which might be overseas.
Thanks so much for clarifying these cards for me – I will continue to consult your website and wish you all the success you deserve, Brigit
Kind regards
Diana
Biddy, I could not agree more with you; thank you for posting this, it felt great to read it as I took it as validation of what I had been feeling/thinking.
Personally I believe even if it’s a complicated question a three-card spread is the first thing to do, then you can go for the Celtic Cross or any other longer spread if you need to know more, but usually a three-card spread will give you a direct, straight answer, like the friend who tells it like it is, no sugar coating anything. Sometimes that’s just what we need.
What I’ve been doing lately is asking the question and reading the three cards as a whole. Probably the same idea behind a one-card reading but with a bit more information so you get more insight. I like it, it works for me.
I did a reading recently for a close friend who wanted to know if she’s going to marry her boyfriend. I don’t like those questions, let me tell you, but she’s very down to earth so I wasn’t too worried about what the cards might say (or I should say how she’d take what the cards told her). I drew the Two of Cups, The Devil and The Star. I usually go by the same meaning you have here on your blog for The Devil, but somehow I felt in this case it wasn’t so much about those negative aspects but it actually meant this is a very sexual relationship, that sex is a very strong (maybe too strong) element in their relationship. I still warned her, just in case, and explained to her what the card might be trying to tell her, but I wanted to know what you think about that, if you think that interpretation makes any sense, and if it makes sense that you know what certain card means but somehow you feel like it has an alternate meaning.
Daniela, good on you for going with your gut instinct with the Devil. That’s the best way to read Tarot cards! It’s actually a good sign to see the Devil (passion and sexual connection) with the Two of Cups (emotional connection), which then feeds into personal transformation and renewal (Star).
I drew three cards to find an answer to – if I should accept the new job offer with my past employer or remain in the existing one
Cards came upright starting with
1st card -The Four of Pentacles- The Lord of Earthly Power
2nd card -The Two of Pentacles- The Lord of Harmonious Change
3rd card -The Magician (Le Bateleur)- The Magnus of Power
Looks like I am looking for fincianical security and power in my job as per 1st card
2nd card alerts me to be carfeul of the change or its going to be a quick harmous change
3rd card tells me that it will help me in my carreer and enhance my potential
Not sure if I read it correctly
Could you please provide feedback on my question to switch job to past employer? Thanks
Zas, my very quick read would be that staying in your current role would be a good option. You want and need stability (4 of Pentacles) and you’re in the middle of some important projects that need your attention (2 of Pentacles and Magician). If you do a great job now (Magician), you might be able to get a promotion.
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