Four Card Tarot Reading Spread

So, you’re ready to perform a four card tarot spread. By this point, you already have an idea of how tarot cards work. You’ve basically mastered the cleansing and shuffling of your deck and have a good grasp of the meaning of each card and the process of interpreting. You will hopefully have mastered a one, two, and three card spread by now. 

WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL

The Four Card Tarot Spread

A four card tarot spread is a precious tool to use. Tarot cards are an ancient method of divination to more deeply understand the past, present, and future; getting some advice about your specific situation and the four card tarot spread is a great way to achieve this. Another great thing about the four card tarot reading is that you can apply it generally or to a specific person/situation. I love this kind of tarot spread and use it very often. 

To begin, you may want to cleanse and charge your deck as discussed in my other article about how to perform a 3-card tarot spread. Assuming you have by now chosen your favorite method of doing so and carried that out, you are ready to begin your spread. First, by shuffling thoroughly using your favorite shuffling method. Some readers like to let the cards fly out of the deck as they shuffle and use these cards as part of the spread. Other readers want to shuffle meticulously and carefully select the cards for their spread. There truly is no right or wrong way to shuffle and choose the cards for your spread which is one of the many reasons why I love using tarot cards so much as a form of divination. 

Note: Determining how to apply the reading beforehand is very important because it will make it much easier to determine what Spirit is trying to tell you.

With the first card being the past, this is the card that we will look at. If you have fully familiarized yourself with the meanings of tarot cards, this part will be a cinch. Combine your knowledge of what the card means with the intuitive hints that naturally come to you when accessing your meditative state over this card. As I previously mentioned, you can use this spread in a general application or apply it to a specific situation or person. If I have a particular person or situation in my mind, I interpret the spread specifically around that person or situation. For example, “the past between me and my POI” or “the past regarding this situation,” or you can apply it in a very general sense - the past in general, the present in general, the future in general. 

With your second card representing the present, this is easy to interpret because you can apply it to the current feelings and circumstances you find yourself in. You can then determine how the specific card meaning applies to the situation. 

The third card represents the future. As I always say, when reading the future energy of a situation, nothing is more important than remembering not to give away your personal power to the cards. Read the future energy in a positive manner that supports you and your desires. If you feel a negative outcome looming in your future energy, interpret the card in a way that will help you change the outcome for your highest good and manifest your desired outcome. Always be honest with yourself. 

Pro Tips

I cannot stress enough the importance of using your inner guidance to interpret cards beyond just the textbook's meaning. Tarot cards are not meant to be confusing or puzzle-like. There is no need for doubt or to second guess yourself when you know what a card means to convey. What a card personally means to you matters just as much, if not more, than the traditional textbook meaning of the card. This is another reason why vivid imagery can be beneficial in reading tarot cards when you are a beginner. You can draw the message from Spirit from the specific imagery. This is the same reason you will see seasoned readers choose from many different decks: the imagery is unique to each deck and can convey different messages. As you progress as an intuitive reader with many decks, you can rely on your intuition to choose the deck you feel most called to or drawn to. Trust that the deck you have selected contains the specific imagery that will help you as the reader decipher the specific message that Spirit is trying to convey. 

It is important not to feel rushed and to take your time doing a reading. Sit with the cards as long as you think you need to but do not try to force the message. When you are searching your mind for what you feel that it means, you are not allowing the information to flow into you. Take time during your reading to let your thoughts dissipate. Take a deep breath, focus, and remember to maintain a meditative state. An excellent analogy for meditation is to let your mind be like a rock in a river. It is a common misconception that meditating means completely clearing your mind of all thoughts - I think we all know that that is next to impossible. What it really means to meditate is to separate yourself from your thoughts. Imagine your conscious awareness as a huge, immovable rock, and your thoughts are the river. As your thoughts come, let them pass by like a flowing river but keep your conscious awareness rooted and grounded. Immovable like a rock in the flowing river. 

Get a Tarot Reading

Reading tarot cards is a practice. If you commit the time, energy, and intention to perfecting this craft, you will reap its many rewards. If you need help or would like a four card spread reading by a professional, contact me or another expert Tarot Psychic Reader here at PathForward.