y four card spread answers almost any question. Like ranch dressing, which goes with pretty much everything, this spread does it all.

About the Four Card Spread

The positions are fairly straight-forward and start at the left with the current situation. For a relationship reading this is where your relationship is right now. For other readings, it represents where you are in relation to the question; how you see the situation.

In most readings, this card reflects the client’s statement about the situation around their question. However, sometimes this card contradicts what my client tells me. When it does, I stop and ask questions of the client because either their true issue isn’t aligned with the question or they aren’t being truthful.

The next two cards are stacked and represent the main obstacle or blockage (on top) and the main helper (bottom). The final card in this four card spread is the outcome or potential path if you manage to overcome the obstacle and connect with the helper.

Sample Reading

Here is a sample spread where the question is “What do I need to understand about my current relationship?”

Now first off, people don’t ask for a relationship Tarot reading unless something is wrong. From this four card spread, I see that the relationship is fracturing in a rather dramatic way. For the client, it feels like their world is falling apart.

The King of Swords in the obstacle position suggests a lack of communication, perhaps even values, in the relationship. Perhaps the client is too flexible with their boundaries and the partner took advantage of this. The relationship might be saved if the client calls on their strength, self-confidence, and patience.

In the final card, we see The Lovers, a card all about knowing what you value, what your own beliefs are, and what will guide you. It suggests a conversation needs to occur between the couple where each side is honest about what happened and how they are affected. Then a choice needs to be made. Can the partners agree to a shared value system? Can the pieces of the relationship that feel so broken in the first card transform into a new, better relationship?

As you can see, this is a simple spread that can be read in pair and triads, making it much deeper than it appears at first glance.

Have a favorite spread? Share it in the comments! Contact me today for your own Tarot reading!