There are times when you want to spend an hour on a Tarot reading, choosing the perfect spread to get to the heart of your concerns, carefully working through every card and aspect of your question, and digging into layers of meaning. But there are other times when you just want a quick and dirty answer, something that you can use to get a fast jolt of energy and inspiration to carry forward.
And while the beloved ten-card Celtic Cross is a classic for a reason, it can also feel like a major commitment — especially if it isn’t a spread that you use often or if you’d rather have a practical piece of advice to work with. Instead, I tend to favor short spreads, particularly if you’re just getting started with the Tarot.
Focusing on a few positions instead of a dozen or more can make it easier to understand what the cards are trying to communicate and can feel less overwhelming regardless of your level of experience with Tarot.
If you’re feeling stuck, even if you aren’t sure why, pulling two cards in this format can bring immediate clarity and help you figure out what to examine, put energy toward, or move away from.
Sometimes this may be all that you need, while other times, it may point you toward a larger spread that you can use to dig more deeply into the situation — but using these two cards together can be really empowering and help you see a challenge for what it is.
With only two cards, this spread is a powerful way to get right to the heart of the matter.
The first card offers insight into your current situation, challenge, question, or difficulty, framing it in a specific way that may help introduce a different viewpoint on what is going on. Whether internal or external, the first card helps to define the issue.
The second card in the layout defines the challenge, obstacle, or problem tripping you up. It can help you see what is blocking progress, limiting clarity, or standing between you and your goal.
And in looking at how these cards relate to each other, what they have in common, and any friction that exists between them, you can start to identify potential solutions.
Read this next: What Tarot Deck You Should Buy, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
Because this spread is a rapid-fire card duo rather than a lengthy multi-card adventure, I’m offering three different examples to help you see how this layout can work for you.
As always, these are merely examples and were not written with any particular person, situation, or question in mind.
This can speak to heartache or despair, grief, or a sense of relational loss, but it can also indicate that something internal is happening that is forcing us to grapple with our intuition, emotions, or community in a necessary but challenging way.
In light of the situation being an emotional one, this card indicates that the querent may feel particularly isolated in their desire for change and meaning but could potentially find purpose, power, and passion in articulating their needs, asking for support, and allowing others to bolster their confidence.
Consider: How can we defend our ideas, our goals, and our longings?
In this position, it might reveal that the querent is losing themselves in illusion and fantasy rather than thinking clearly and rationally about what they want.
The 7 of Cups feels very dreamy, but this card is one of grounding, intentionality, and patience.
How can we find a balance between desire and devotion? What feels good to imagine, and what are we actually willing to commit to?
The 4 of Wands is often a welcome card in readings, so seeing it in this position indicates that things may feel really joyful, empowering, and generally positive. There may not be a clear problem for the querent.
Given that our situation card of the 4 of Wands can indicate stability, joy, and progress, the 4 of Swords serves as a reminder to pace ourselves, to take breaks when we need them, and to protect our tender hearts and minds even as we continue moving forward.
While this reads to me as more of an advice card, the 4 of Swords in this position is a reminder to protect our dreams and ideas, to balance power with purpose, to be clear about our goals, and be structured about the ways that we pursue them.
Sometimes, the cards can simply urge us to acknowledge something about where we are, to celebrate or honor or take pride in something good that is happening that we may be taking for granted. In those cases, the challenge card may be more of an opportunity for growth or movement rather than an obstacle that is getting in our way.
Read these cards as a pairing, like a conversation, and see where their insights can take you. Happy reading!
This post features cards from Le Tarot de L’étoile Cachée.
Related article: How to Expertly Shuffle Your Tarot Cards