Yes or No Tarot Spread Guide: Everything You Need to Know

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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.

Yes or No Tarot Spreads Up Front

We can perform a yes or no Tarot spread in a few different ways. However, my favorite is the three-card support/opposition/outcome spread. This spread allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the situation and determine the factors behind the yes or no answer.

How Do Yes or No Tarot Spreads Work?

Yes or no Tarot spreads are perfect if you want a quick answer to a question. They allow you to get information from the Tarot in a concise and easy-to-understand way.

When performing a yes or no spread, you ask a question to the cards and then pull one or more cards to get the answer. Because our intuition hugely influences Tarot, there are a few different ways you can perform a yes or no Tarot spread. You may wish to pick one card or perform a three-card or four-card yes or no Tarot spread.

It is important to remember that Tarot cards will not reveal what will definitely happen in your future. The cards are used to reflect what will probably happen with your current energy and attitude.

Tips for Performing Yes or No Spreads

Because yes or no spreads are a bit different from your usual spreads, I have some tips for you before you begin reading the cards:

Work out your question beforehand. Can you say it in one sentence? It is important to be concise regarding yes or no Tarot spreads!
Repeat the question when shuffling the cards. When I perform yes or no Tarot spreads, I like to speak the question out loud when shuffling the cards. This allows me to really sum up what I want from the reading.
Avoid asking questions about the intent and feelings of others. It is so tempting to ask the cards, “Does the person I am dating love me?” However, Tarot decks are not really that about to answer that. Instead, you may wish to ask something similar, like, “will this relationship work out?”
Make sure there is only one question in your spread.
Don’t repeat the reading until you get the right answer.

Yes or No Tarot Spreads: One Card Answers

There are a few ways to approach a yes or no Tarot spread. Many readers prefer to pick one card that answers the question.

But how can we understand the answer?

Well, one option is to listen to your intuition with the specific card. Perhaps you are asking the question, “Should I apply for a new job.” You shuffle the cards and pick one. It is the Death card. So, what could that mean for you? Death is all about rebirth and renewal, so it definitely suggests that you should apply for the new job!

Some Tarot readers believe that each card has a yes or no answer, regardless of the question asked.

Cards that Mean Yes

Here are the cards that are said to mean yes in a yes or no Tarot spread.

Major Arcana
- The Fool
- The Magician
- The Empress
- The Emperor
- The Lovers
- Strength
- The Star
- The Sun
- The World
Suit of Swords
- Ace
- Six
- Page
Suit of Wands
- Ace
- Three
- Four
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Page
- Knight
- Queen
- King
Suit of Cups
- Ace
- Two
- Three
- Six
- Nine
- Ten
- Page
- Knight
- Queen
- King
Suit of Pentacles
- Ace
- Three
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Page
- Knight
- Queen
- King

Cards that Mean No

Here are the cards that are said to mean no in a yes or no Tarot spread.

Major Arcana
- Death
- The Devil
- The Tower
- The Moon
Suit of Swords
- Three
- Five
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
Suit of Wands
- Five
- Ten
Suit of Cups
- Five
- Eight
Suit of Pentacles
- Five

Cards that Mean Maybe

Certain Tarot cards do not have a general yes or no answer. Instead, these cards reveal that more information is needed for the question to be answered. It is not time for you to decide but to meditate and reflect on the decision.

The Tarot cards that mean maybe:

The High Priestess
The Hermit
The Hierophant
Justice
The Hanged Man
The Two of Wands
The Nine of Wands
The Seven of Cups
The Four of Cups
The Two of Swords
Queen of Swords
Knight of Swords
King of Swords
The Seven of Pentacles
The Two of Pentacles

Intuition Vs Definite Answers

So, remember how we used the example of applying for a new job? The Death card was received for this question. When working with our intuition, it gives us a yes answer. However, Death is usually seen as a no regarding yes or no Tarot spreads.

So, should you go with your intuition or the definite answers?

Honestly, this is totally up to you. When learning yes or no Tarot spreads, try out the different ways and see what works best for you. I prefer working with my own intuitions when it comes to yes or no Tarot spreads, as I believe the meaning of the cards will change depending on the question. However, it is up to you and your own Tarot journey!

Three-card Yes or No Tarot Spreads

If one-card spreads aren’t for you, there are some great three-card yes or no Tarot spreads that can help you on your path in life.

Let’s look at beginner-friendly yes or no spreads you can practice today.

Ancestor Advice Spread — Image by Lou Siday

Support/Opposition/Outcome

This three-card yes or no Tarot spread allows you to look at the different factors that are influencing the question. It is perfect for questions that revolve around an event or situation occurring.

The three cards pulled in this spread refer to:

Card one: Support
Card two: Opposition
Card three: Outcome

Let’s go through this spread with an example. Perhaps the querent has applied for a promotion and is wondering if they will get it.

Let’s ask the cards, “Will I get the promotion?”

Support

The first card reveals the supporting factors in a yes or no question. It will reveal reasons for a ‘yes’ and may reflect how likely a yes will be.

For this card, the querent received the King of Swords. This is a very powerful card, suggesting that the querent has a great mind. The King of Swords reflects authority and mental prowess. It usually reflects someone who is sure of themselves and knows how to see the truth.

In this position, we can understand the King of Swords reflecting the querent’s abilities. They are sharp of mind, and this supports the promotion!

Opposition

The second card reveals why the answer might be a no. It reflects opposing factors to the question and reveals why the situation may not occur.

For this card, the querent received the Seven of Pentacles. As this question is all about work, it isn’t surprising that a Pentacles card has popped up! The Seven of Pentacles represents hard work and ambition. It will usually appear if you are beginning a journey with work, with your eyes on the long-term goals.

This is an interesting card to receive in this position, as I believe it to be quite positive when considering what it means. The Seven of Pentacles is considered a maybe card. It definitely feels that this person has got the potential for promotion, but it won’t happen yet. They still have a lot of work to do to gain the skills needed for the promotion!

However, when considering it with the King of Swords, we know that the querent does have the potential to achieve their goals. But, it probably won’t happen straight away.

Outcome

The last card in this three-card yes or no spread reveals the situation’s outcome. It is the yes or no card of the spread and usually gives a clear answer.

The querent received the Three of Swords for this card. If there was ever a card with the bold energy of a no, it is the Three of Swords! This card represents failure, disappointment, and heartbreak. We can understand this card as saying the querent will not receive the promotion.

However, this example reading shows us why we might prefer a three-card yes or no Tarot spread rather than a one-card reading. If the querent asked the question and straight away received the Three of Swords, they probably would feel extremely disappointed.

However, the King of Swords and Seven of Pentacles appearing in the reading gives the querent a better understanding of the no. They have the potential, but they just need more experience in their work for a promotion!

Three-card Yes or No Decision-Making Tarot Spread

Many of us will turn to the Tarot for decision-making. A yes or no Tarot spread is a great way to gain information regarding a choice, and this spread is designed for ‘should I’ yes or no questions.

The three cards pulled in this spread refer to:

Card one: For
Card two: Against
Card three: Advice

Let’s go through this spread with an example reading. Let’s go back to the question we used for the one-card Tarot reading: ‘should I apply for a new job?’.

So, what does the Tarot tell us? Let’s pick three cards and find out!

Three-card Yes or No Decision-Making Tarot Spread — Image by Lou Siday

For

The first card reflects reasons for a yes. It shows us why we should do what we are considering!

For this card, the querent received the Four of Cups. This card reflects boredom and dissatisfaction. It usually appears in a reading if you have lost your lust for life and need a change.

So, what does the Four of Cups mean in this position?

Well, we can see the querent is currently bored with their job. They are not really interested in what they are doing, so they are considering applying for a new job. The Tarot is telling them that they should apply for a new job because it will help them bring new enjoyment into their life.

Against

The second card pulled reflects reasons for a no. It shows why you might not want to do what you consider.

For this card, the querent received the Ten of Wands. The Ten of Wands reflects burden and strain. It suggests that you are taking on too many responsibilities, and this is burning you out!

Considering the Ten of Wands in this position, we can understand a new job will mean a lot more responsibilities for the querent. It will be a big step for them, and they may find it pretty difficult!

Advice

The last card pulled in this yes or no Tarot spread is the advice card. It will usually provide a definite yes or no answer to the question.

For this card, the querent received the Sun. The Sun is typically seen as a yes, reflecting optimism and success. We can also use our intuition to understand this card when considering the other cards that appeared in the spread.

The Ten of Wands revealed strain and burden. But, can the optimism and hope of the Sun outweigh this? Should the querent apply for the new job, bearing in mind the responsibilities that come with it? Will their inner power allow them to overcome the energy of the Ten of Wands?

Yes or No Tarot Spread Guide: FAQs

Let’s look at some questions you might have about yes or no Tarot spreads.

Question: Do Tarot Cards have General Yes or No Meanings?

Answer: Yes. There is a general agreement on the yes or no meanings of all Tarot cards.

Question: What Yes or No Questions should You not Ask Tarot?

Answer: Avoid asking questions about the intent and feelings of someone else. You should also not ask questions about your health or world events.

Question: Can Yes or No Tarot Spreads Predict the Future?

Answer: No. Yes or no Tarot spreads can reveal what probably will happen, but they cannot tell you what will definitely happen in the future.

Enhance Your Decision-Making with a Yes or No Tarot Spread

I hope you have enjoyed this yes or no Tarot spread guide! Yes or no Tarot spreads are super useful when wanting to make decisions or gain clarity on the situation. I turn to them time and time again for reflection and understanding.

Which yes or no Tarot spread is your favorite?

Continue reading:

Ancestor Tarot Spread Guide: 3 Spreads To Connect with the Souls of Your Ancestors

Lions Gate Tarot Spread Guide

Ex Tarot Spread Guide: 3 Spreads For Breakups