Oracle Card Spreads Explained A-Z (5 Spread Examples)
Oracle cards are tools used for divination. Using them can help you tap into your intuition and receive guidance from your Higher Self or higher spiritual beings like angels, ascended masters, ancestral guides, or animal spirit guides.
Oracle card readers can do an intuitive one-card oracle draw or a two-card oracle spread representing 1) cause and effect or 2) two contrasting scenarios. If you wish for a more insightful oracle card reading, you can add as many cards as you want in your oracle card spread.
Regardless of the oracle card spread and the number of cards you use, remember that you need to follow no rules or standards when reading oracle cards. Hence, you can create a unique oracle card spread of your own befitting your circumstance.
8 Oracle Card Spreads You Need to Know
1. One-Card Oracle Spreads
The Daily One-Card Draw
Beginners in oracle card reading can learn more about oracle cards through a daily one-card oracle draw. Both novice and expert oracle card readers practice this because it’s easy and insightful.
In this type of one-card oracle spread, all you need to do is pull an oracle card every day and reflect on what they might be trying to say. The oracle card can describe the overall energy of how your day would look or relay a message from your Higher Self or spirit guides.
You might want to keep a journal to write your daily oracle card pulls. Doing so will help you see patterns that can provide insightful information about any aspect of your life.
Yes-or-No Oracle Card Reading
Those who need a straightforward yes or no answer to their question can do a one-card yes-or-no oracle reading. This type of oracle card reading provides the querent immediate advice from the Divine.
This one-card oracle spread seems easy to do at first glance. However, the oracle card reader must have profound knowledge about the oracle deck they’re using (including the symbolism behind each card) to ensure accurate interpretation.
2. Two-Card Oracle Spreads
The Daily Two-Card Draw
Guide Questions:
- What are the events that would occur today?
- How would I react to these events?
For Daily Energy Reading
Guide Questions:
- Describe this day’s overall energy.
- How can I utilize this energy for my benefit?
For Guidance from Higher Self or Spirit Guides
Guide Questions:
- What are my spirit guides telling me?
- How can I achieve my highest good?
For Action-Oriented Advice
Guide Questions:
- What should I do about this situation?
- What should I not do to ensure that the problem doesn’t worsen?
For Determining Strengths and Weaknesses
Guide Questions:
- What are my strengths?
- What are my weaknesses?
For Differentiating Perception and Reality
Guide Questions:
- How do I perceive and understand this issue?
- What’s the reality behind this issue?
3. Three-Card Oracle Spreads
For Knowing Overall Wellbeing
Guide Questions:
- Describe my physical status.
- Describe my mental state.
- Describe my spiritual condition.
For Determining a Fast Solution to a Problem
Guide Questions:
- What’s the nature of the problem?
- What caused this dilemma?
- What steps should I take to solve this issue?
For Past-Present-Future Oracle Card Reading
Guide Questions:
- What transpired in the past?
- Describe the events happening now.
- What does the future hold?
For Obtaining General Insight into a Romantic Relationship
Guide Questions:
- What do I expect from this relationship?
- What does my partner wish to obtain from this relationship?
- What does the future hold for us?
For Obtaining General Self-Insight
Guide Questions:
- How do I perceive myself?
- Describe the path I’m currently taking.
- What would be the outcome if I continued walking down this path?
For Decision-Making
Guide Questions:
- What would be the result if I chose the first option?
- What would happen if I decided to do the second option?
- What advice can my spirit guides give about this situation?
4. Four-Card Oracle Spreads
For Personal Healing
Guide Questions:
- What enabled this situation to occur?
- What should I do to resolve my current predicament?
- Who can I ask for help?
- What or who should I let go of to start my journey towards healing?
For Obtaining Insight into a Long-Term Relationship
Guide Questions:
- What are my roles in this relationship?
- What are my partner’s roles?
- How do I perceive my partner?
- Describe how my partner sees me.
5. Five-Card Oracle Spreads
For Deeper Intuition
Guide Questions:
- What’s my Higher Self trying to tell me?
- What direction is my intuition pointing me?
- What message do my spirit guides have for me?
- Which path should I take?
- Where should I focus my energy?
For Deeper Insight
Guide Questions:
- Describe the current situation.
- What challenges are waiting for me?
- What guidance can my spirit guides provide?
- Where should I focus my energy to obtain my desired outcome?
- What’s the probable result of my actions?
How to Create an Oracle Card Spread of Your Own
Oracle card reading shares many similarities with tarot reading, another famous divination practice. Oracle card reading is less complicated and adheres to no universal standard (compared to a tarot reading), making it beginner-friendly.
Oracle card spreads also have an arguably more straightforward form than tarot spreads. Thus, working with oracle cards can give you more freedom to design an oracle card spread of your own. Below is a guideline you can follow if you decide to do so.
1. Determine the Number of Oracle Cards You Need to Draw
Before creating your unique oracle card spread, it’s best to assess your current situation or circumstance. While doing so, you can make a list of questions you want to ask the oracle cards. Once you have finalized the list, create an outline to determine how many oracle cards you need to pull in your reading.
The number of cards depends on how many questions you have and how in-depth you want your reading to be. However, if you’re new to oracle card reading, it’s best to create an oracle card spread with only three or four cards. You can try making complex combinations once you gain sufficient experience.
2. Decide on the Design Principles of Your Spread
In a tarot reading, it’s necessary to pay attention to the tarot spread you use because each position, direction, and spacing has a unique meaning to it. On the other hand, there’s no rule to how you lay your cards out in an oracle card reading.
Although not required, you can create an oracle card spread that highlights emphasis, balance, symmetry, spacing, and direction. Doing so will add depth to your oracle card reading.
When making an oracle card spread of your own, remember that the card (or group of cards) that catches your eyes first holds the most significance. If there’s no eye-catching card in the spread, it means all cards are equally important in the oracle card reading, giving the oracle card spread a sense of balance.
Balanced oracle card spreads usually consist of an even number of cards. If you want your oracle card spread to be more dynamic, it’s best to use an odd number of cards.
Spacing isn’t usually an issue in oracle card spreads because most have uniform spacing. However, you can deviate from the traditional evenly spaced cards in your oracle card spread if you wish to emphasize something.
Suppose that you’re using five cards in your oracle card spread. You can make the spacing of the first four cards uniform and then place the last card a little far away from the rest. This placement gives an impression of a delayed reaction, encouraging the Seeker to reflect on the information presented during the oracle card reading.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to oracle card reading or wish to learn more about it as a spiritual practice, consider talking with an experienced oracle card reader. Professional spiritual advisors who specialize in several divination practices, including oracle card reading, can help you obtain the answers you need.
They can advise you on the best oracle spread to use for your particular circumstance. Moreover, they can help you choose the right deck for you and guide you on the preparations you need to do before performing an oracle card reading.
