A 3 card tarot spread is great for both beginners and advanced tarot readers.
In a quick glance, you can get an idea of the energy surrounding a situation and gain clarity on how to move forward. Tarot can also be used as a self-development tool, helping you consider perspectives you may be overlooking.
To find the best 3 card tarot spread for your situation, keep reading.
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3 Card Tarot Spread: 4 Simple Tarot Layouts
If you’re looking for a simple tarot layout or 3 card tarot spread, browse the options below. Before choosing one, consider what you’re looking to get out of your reading. What questions are you looking for clarification on? With a 3 card tarot spread or any other, remember to ground yourself and say a prayer or intention for protection before beginning.
Triangle of Influence
This is a great 3 card tarot spread to do if you’re looking to delve into the influences affecting you. You can use this spread to understand the influences affecting your current life in general. Or you can use it to look at what’s influencing a situation, such as a work promotion. The first card is about positive factors currently affecting the situation. These are ones you should try to gain more of. The second card digs into the things that are negatively influencing the situation. If you can, you may try to minimize these. Finally, the last card in this 3 card tarot spread helps us understand the role we’re playing in our own life or situation. This can help reveal blocks or challenges we need to work on. It may also indicate that we’re doing everything we can—sometimes too much—to control the situation.
- Positive influences I should get more of. What good factors are affecting the situation? Ask yourself how you can amp these up.
- Negative influences I should try to minimize. In this three card tarot spread, this card represents the factors that are bringing out the negative aspects in your life or the situation. If you can, try to reduce these.
- My role currently or role in the situation. You’re the main character in your own life or situation. What’s the script you’re writing? How do you show up in your movie?
Reflection
This 3 card tarot spread helps you reflect on yourself and where you’re spending your energy. What are you focusing on too much and too little? And what’s something actionable you can do to improve your life or situation? This is a great layout to try whether you’re wondering about a specific life situation, or you’re just curious for some general life reflection.
- What am I focusing on too much? What are you spending too much time, energy or thought on? This card in the 3 card tarot spread points to something you should try to minimize. It may indicate a factor or behavior that’s working against your desire or goal.
- What do I need to focus on more? This card helps you understand where you should put more of your time and energy. Keeping your mind on this should get you to progress easier toward your desire or goal.
- How I can support myself at this time. In this 3 card tarot spread, this card represents something actionable you can do to support yourself. This could be tips to bettering your mentality around life or a situation. It could also be behavioral actions to help you move closer toward your goal, desire or life you want.
Action Ladder
This 3 card tarot spread is ideal if you’re looking for practical advice on what you can do. Like a ladder, it’s designed to bring you closer to the best outcome. Use this layout to inquire about a specific situation, question or area of life. Start off by assessing the general energy of the situation or question. The second card in this 3 card tarot spread gives you a specific action to put you on the right path. And to close out, the third card lets you know the most likely outcome of the recommended action.
- Represents the situation you’re hoping for clarity on. The first card in this 3 card tarot spread represents the situation in question. What do you need answers about and what’s the current energy surrounding it?
- A suggested action to take. This card dives straight into an action you can take to improve or progress the situation. It represents practical advice that will bring you closer to your desired goal or outcome.
- Most likely outcome of suggestion action. What’s the most likely outcome of the action suggestion in the card prior? Sometimes, this card points to the successful achievement of a goal or desired outcome. It may also symbolize the work that still lays ahead and provide wisdom for future challenges. Remember that last card in this 3 card tarot spread represents the most likely outcome only if you take the action suggested. (And since everything is subject to free will, it could change for other reasons too)
Tired of Everything
Sometimes we feel tired of everything and we just need a break. This 3 card tarot spread can both give hope and highlight a possible path forward. It serves as a comforting hug from spirit when you need a pick me up. The first card gives specific advice about your situation, the second gives you advice to regain hope. Lastly, what can you look forward to?
- Advice from spirit on a current challenge. What spirit wants to tell you about this current challenge you’re facing or time in your life.
- A tip for uplifting your spirit or regaining hope. Something spirit recommends you can think or do to boost your hope and amp up your energy again. This could be actionable advice or words or encouragement.
- Something you can look forward to in the future. The last card in this 3 card tarot spread hints a something in the future that you can be thankful for and look forward to.
Summary: 3 Card Tarot Spread
These 3 card tarot spreads are perfect whether you’re looking for a simple tarot layout for beginners or you’re an advanced reader. Use the layout above to help you reflect and gain insight on your current circumstances. As always, remember that everything is subject to freewill.
