# Tarot spreads: six layouts and when to use each

> A tarot spread gives each card a position with its own meaning, such as past, present or future. AI Tarot Reading offers six: one card (5 credits), yes or no (5), three cards for past, present and future (10), a five-card love spread (15), a five-card career spread (15) and the ten-card Celtic Cross (25). The positions below are free to use with any deck.

A spread is the pattern the cards are laid in, and each place in it asks its own question. Here are the six spreads the reading tool offers, with every position, so you can choose one or lay it out with your own deck.

## At a glance

- **Spreads:** Six, from one card to ten
- **Credits per reading:** One card 5 · Yes or no 5 · Three cards 10 · Love 15 · Career 15 · Celtic Cross 25
- **Card draw:** All 78 cards, shuffled on our server with a secure random generator; each upright or reversed
- **Account:** Free registration with no signup credits; readings use purchased credits

- Every position listed
- Free to use with any deck
- Six layouts

[Choose a spread](https://aitarotreading.app/create)

## How to choose a tarot spread

- **Match the question**: Closed questions suit yes or no; open questions suit three cards or more.
- **Match the topic**: Love and career spreads have positions written for those parts of life.
- **Match your time**: One card takes a minute to read; a Celtic Cross deserves a quiet half hour.

## How to use a spread

1. **Pick the layout**: Choose the spread whose positions ask what you want to know.
2. **Draw for each position**: One card per position, in order, upright or reversed.
3. **Read each place, then the whole**: Interpret every card in its position, then look at how they connect.

## One card

One position: a single card as a focus for your question or your day. The simplest spread and the best way to learn the cards.


## Yes or no

One position, plus an answer: the card gives Yes, No or Maybe according to our published list, and the reading explains why.


## Three cards: past, present, future

The classic three-card spread shows how a situation is developing:

- 1. Past: what has shaped the situation
- 2. Present: where things stand now
- 3. Future: where they are heading if nothing changes

## Love spread

Five cards for a relationship, or for the love you hope to find if you are single:

- 1. You: what you bring and what you feel
- 2. The other person, or the love you hope for: their feelings and intentions, or what you are looking for
- 3. The connection: what is between you right now
- 4. What stands in the way: the obstacle, inside or outside the relationship
- 5. Where it is heading: the direction things are taking

## Career spread

Five practical cards for work, skills and next steps:

- 1. Where you stand: your situation at work today
- 2. What helps you: skills, people and conditions on your side
- 3. What holds you back: what slows you down
- 4. What to do next: the step the cards suggest
- 5. Where it is heading: the likely direction of your work

## Celtic Cross

Ten cards that look at a situation from every side; the Celtic Cross page explains each position in detail.

- 1. The present
- 2. The challenge
- 3. The foundation
- 4. The recent past
- 5. What you aim for
- 6. The near future
- 7. Yourself
- 8. Your surroundings
- 9. Hopes and fears
- 10. The outcome

## Spread guides

- [Tarot yes or no](https://aitarotreading.app/yes-or-no): The one-card answer and our full card list.
- [One card tarot](https://aitarotreading.app/one-card): How to read a single card and build a daily habit.
- [Celtic Cross tarot](https://aitarotreading.app/celtic-cross): The ten positions, the cross and the staff.

## The six spreads side by side

| | Cards | Best for | Credits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| One card | 1 | A daily focus or a quick question | 5 |
| Yes or no | 1 | A closed question | 5 |
| Three cards | 3 | How a situation is developing | 10 |
| Love | 5 | A relationship or finding love | 15 |
| Career | 5 | Work decisions and next steps | 15 |
| Celtic Cross | 10 | Big questions with many sides | 25 |

## Pricing for tarot readings

- Starter: $7.99 / month, 1,200 credits
- Pro: $19.99 / month, 3,600 credits
- Small: $4.99, 500 credits
- Large: $14.99, 2,000 credits

## Tarot spreads FAQ

### What is the best tarot spread for beginners?

Start with one card, then move to three cards for past, present and future. Both are small enough to read card by card and still see how the cards connect.

### How many cards are in a tarot spread?

Anything from one to the whole deck, but most everyday spreads use one, three, five or ten cards. The six spreads here use one, one, three, five, five and ten.

### Can I use these spreads with my own deck?

Yes. The positions on this page are free to use: shuffle, lay one card per position in order, and read each card in its place.

### Which spread is best for love questions?

The five-card love spread, which looks at you, the other person or the love you hope for, the connection, the obstacle and the direction. For a single closed question, use yes or no.

## Pick a spread and ask

Readings cost 5 to 25 purchased credits, depending on the spread.

_Last updated 2026-10-29_