Reader · 15 min
Small spreads
Three ways to label a three-card row, the five-card choice spread for two options, the five-card cross for depth, and how to let the question choose the spread.
In this lesson you will
- Relabel a three-card row to fit the question you are asking.
- Lay and read the five-card choice spread (二者択一) without turning it into a verdict.
- Read the five-card cross in its two pairs: time, then aim and root.
- Choose the spread from the shape of the question.
You are torn between staying in your apartment and moving in with a friend across town. You lay out three cards and they tell a story, but your question has two roads in it, and one row of three cannot show both. The question should choose the spread, not the other way around.
One row, three questions
The three-card row from The three-card reading is a frame you can relabel. Change its three questions and the same three cards do a different job:
- Past, Present, Future: how something developed and where it is going. Good for patterns.
- Situation, Obstacle, Advice: what to do about it. Good when you want to act.
- Mind, Body, Spirit: a check-in with yourself: your thoughts, your energy, and what gives you meaning.
Pick the variant whose questions you actually want answered. If none fits, your question may need a different shape altogether, such as a choice between two roads.
This lesson is part of Plus
Plus opens every lesson of the Practitioner, Reader and Advanced tiers, with practice that explains every answer.
What the lesson covers
- The choice spread (二者択一)
- The five-card cross
- Your turn
- Practice
Foundations and the first lesson of every course are free.