Tarot Spreads for Decision Making Guide: 3 Easy Spreads

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Lou specializes in Tarot, spirituality, wellness, and new-age content. Aside from her focused development in spirituality, Lou enjoys writing freelance articles and ebooks on meditation, wellness, and crystal healing. She loves working on projects that help spread positivity and is passionate about helping others find their own spiritual paths. She believes that starting your spiritual journey can significantly impact your overall health and lead to a more fulfilling life.

Tarot Spreads for Decision-Making Up Front

In this article, I will talk through three different Tarot spreads for decision-making. My go-to spread is the six-card Tarot spread that allows me to look at the pros and cons of two different options. However, the other two are both great spreads to help you make choices in life!

Three-Card Tarot Spread for Decision-Making

Let’s begin by looking at a simple three-card Tarot spread. I will typically do a three-card spread if I don’t have time for a long reading and want a quick check-in. Three-card spreads are perfect for beginners, as they are usually easy to follow and won’t get too overwhelming!

The three cards pulled in this spread are:

Option one
Option two
Advice

This three-card spread allows you to take a decision that has two options and look at what both mean for you. It then gives a card for advice, tying both the cards together.

Even though this is a three-card spread, you can still pull out more cards if you wish. If, for example, the advice card doesn’t seem to make sense, you can pull out another card to gain more clarity on the situation. I will frequently pull out more cards when doing a three-card reading for someone because sometimes the Tarot has more to tell us!

Let’s look at an example situation and reading in order to fully understand this Tarot spread. I actually have a friend who I did a reading for recently who needed to make a career decision, so let’s take her situation as an example. She is currently working a research job, which she finds really interesting, and has great pay. However, she is a qualified Pilates teacher and sees that as her real passion. But, she doesn’t know if she should pursue this or not.

So, let’s take option one as sticking with her current job and option two as pursuing Pilates. What do the cards say?

For the first card, she has received the Two of Pentacles. This card reflects balance and responsibility, especially when it comes to work and money, so it is pretty interesting that it came up for her in this reading! This reflects option one, which is her sticking with her current job. I think it reveals that her current workload might be a bit too much for her, and she seems to be constantly judging her work with her hobbies and interests.

For the second card, which reflects the option of pursuing Pilates, we have received Temperance. This is the only Major Arcana card in a reading, which is always worth noting. Major Arcana cards typically refer to significant life events and changes, whereas Minor Arcana reflect day-to-day issues and opportunities.

I also found it interesting that, like the Two of Pentacles, Temperance has energies of balance and moderation. This card asks us to work on our stability and patience in life. In regard to work, it typically reflects a time of slow and steady progress. However, the card does suggest that if we maintain calm and balanced, we can achieve our goals.

I believe it to mean that if my friend chooses to pursue her dreams, it will be steady progress with a lot of hard work, but she will get there in the end with the right attitude!

So, what about the advice card? She has received the Queen of Wands. Court cards are pretty interesting and can be hard to read, as they can be understood to be people, energies, or influences. However, I believe in this reading, the Queen of Wands is pretty obvious! It represents my friend and how she has the determination and confidence to get to where she wishes to be. We have the suit of Wands, reflecting fiery passion and energy, and the Queen, a feminine and bold leader.

Five-Card Tarot Spread for Decision-Making

If you need more information from the cards than what the simple three-card spread can provide, have a go at this five-card spread for decision-making that will give you more insight into your circumstances.

In this spread, the five cards pulled refer to:

Your current situation
Your concerns
Your wishes
Option one
Option two

This five-card spread can help you with a choice between two options. The first card reflects where you are right now in the decision-making process. The second card highlights any concerns you might have in regard to your choices, and the third card reflects your true wishes for the outcome of this decision.

The fourth and fifth cards reflect the two different options you have and what they might provide for you. These cards might put forward warnings or encouragement for your choice.

Let’s apply this spread to an example. I have a friend who was in a difficult situation last year. She and her boyfriend split a few years before when he went abroad to work. They had a lot of love for each other, but lifestyle choices made it difficult to be together. Fast-forward to last year, he is returning from abroad and wants to see her.

However, she is in a new relationship that seems to be going well. She is unsure about going on a date with her ex and messing things up with her new boyfriend. So, how can the cards help her in this situation? Let’s say option one is trying to rekindle the love from years ago, and option two is not meeting up with her ex.

For the first card, which refers to her current situation, she has received the Six of Cups. This card reflects nostalgia and happy memories, so it is very interesting that this appeared in this reading. Perhaps she is viewing her old relationship through rose-tinted glasses, admiring all the good times they had together.

Her second card, reflecting her concerns, is the Two of Swords. As this card is all about making a challenging decision, it is pretty obvious why it has appeared in this position!

Her third card that represents her wishes is the Four of Wands. The Four of Wands reflects happy and harmonious times, full of celebration. Again, this is a pretty obvious card to receive in this reading, as she clearly just wants to live a happy life. Don’t we all!

So, what about the option cards? For the fourth card, which reflects meeting up with her ex, she has received the Moon. The eighteenth Major Arcana card, the Moon represents uncertainty and illusions. When the Moon is high in the sky, nothing is what it seems, and anxieties and fears are coming to a head.

This card isn’t a positive card when it comes to the first option, as it suggests that her relationship with her ex might be based on illusions. Remember how I said that the Six of Cups suggests that she is viewing her old relationship through rose-tinted glasses? Well, the Moon definitely supports this!

For the final card, option two, she has received Strength. Because it is another Major Arcana card, you can see that this decision is a significant one in her life! The Strength card is all about being brave and finding your inner confidence and power. It can often reflect a time of hardship and the need for strength to overcome it when it comes to love.

In my friend’s circumstance, I believe it to mean that not meeting her ex will be hard, but she has the inner power to know that it might not be the best decision right now. She must get through the illusions that the Moon brings, and move forward with her life, either with or without her new partner.

Six-Card Tarot Spread for Decision-Making

This six-card Tarot spread dives deeper into the options that you are facing. Sometimes, we need more cards per option than just two, and this spread looks at the pros and cons of each option.

The six cards pulled reflect:

Option one
Pros of option one
Cons of option one
Option two
Pros of option two
Cons of option two

The first and fourth cards reflect the two options and what they might represent for you moving forward. These can generally be understood and provide a rounded understanding of each choice. The other four cards pulled deepens your understanding of the two options, allowing you to weigh up their pros and cons.

Let’s apply this to a reading to understand how we can use this spread for ourselves and our friends.

Last year I was in a pretty overwhelming situation in regard to work. I was working full-time as a bar manager and had a lot of content writing work. I enjoyed both jobs, but I was working most days, and it didn’t give me enough time for myself!

I decided to quit the pub and focus on writing full time, and I haven’t looked back since. However, what would the Tarot tell me if I was still in that situation? Let’s say option one is sticking with bar work, and option two is pursuing freelance writing full time.

For the main card for option one, I have received the Six of Wands. A card all about victory and success, it makes sense that this appears for bar work. I worked hard for so many years in hospitality and finally found myself in a management position, which was a big success for me!

I got the Eight of Pentacles for card two, which reflects the pros of staying in bar work. The Eight of Pentacles reflects the diligence and hard work, and I think it does tie into the Six of Wands in this reading. I worked hard to be a bar manager, and a pro of staying in the career is that I have a lot of experience behind me.

For the third card that shows us the cons of staying in bar work, I received the Hanged Man. This card represents a time for pause, with an element of uncertainty. Things are going slow and maybe not as planned. In my career reading, I believe it reflects the slow and similar nature of bar work. When you manage a bar, there is no real way upwards, and things seem to stagnate.

The fourth card reflects option two, and I have received the Eight of Wands. A card all about moving forward and progressing, it seems a direct response to the Hanged Man. Quitting the bar and focusing on my writing career will help me progress with speed, and this is super exciting!

For card five, which represents the pros of focusing on my writing career, I received the Death card. A hugely misunderstood Tarot card, Death represents new life and rebirth. In this position, it totally makes sense! Leaving bar work behind and focusing on writing is a huge change for me. But, because it falls into the pros of option two-position, we can understand that the change will be positive.

The final card, card six, reflects the cons of quitting bar work and focussing on writing. For this one, I have received the Sun. This is interesting because it is usually seen as a positive card, reflecting success, innocence, and optimism. So, how can we understand this to mean the cons of option two?

Well, when we get positive cards in negative positions, we can take their meaning to the extreme to understand what they represent. There is an element of naivety with the Sun card, and could we say that I may be naive in thinking I could go straight into a successful writing career? Positivity and optimism are great, but too much might mean we forget to plan for the unexpected!

Tarot Spreads for Decision Making Guide: FAQs

Let’s look at some questions you might have about Tarot spreads for decision-making.

Question: Can the Tarot Cards Tell me to Quit a Job?

Answer: The Tarot cards should not be used to give definite answers. Rather, the cards can help you to understand the situation you are in, providing you with clarity.

Question: Can I do a Tarot Spread for Decision-making on Myself?

Answer: Yes! Doing Tarot spreads on yourself is a great way to practice your skills and get guidance in life.

Question: Can I do a Tarot Spread for a Decision with More than Two Options?

Answer: Yes, you can. You can alter the three spreads in this article to include more options.

Allow the Tarot to Help You with Decision-Making

Tarot is a fantastic spiritual tool that can help you make decisions about career, love, and everything in between! I hope you find these Tarot spreads for decision-making useful and get what you need from the cards.

However, it is important to remember that what you decide is ultimately down to you. Allow the Tarot to enlighten you, but remember to listen to your intuition.

Continue reading:

Love Tarot Spread Guide: 5 Easy Spreads for Both Beginner and Expert Readers

Simple Five Card Spread Explained

Celtic Cross Spread Explained: What Does it Mean?