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The Big Tarot Spread: How It Changed the Way I Read Tarot

Learn Tarot online through the Big Tarot Spread. A personal guide showing how this spread helps you understand Tarot more deeply.

Learning Tarot Through the Big Spread

When I first started learning Tarot, I worked with many different spreads.
Single cards, three-card readings, small layouts for daily guidance - I tried them all.

They were helpful, yes. But for a long time, Tarot still felt a bit… scattered.

I also have to admit: in the beginning, I had no real guidance. I learned mostly from books and thought, “Well, this should be good enough.” I knew the general meanings of the cards and some spreads, but often the messages didn’t fully come together. It felt like I was reading sentences where some words were missing.

Everything changed when I learned about the Big Spread, a Tarot spread that uses all 78 cards - and of course, this happened through a teacher.

She introduced me to the Big Spread and guided me through it step by step. And suddenly, Tarot started to make much more sense.

My First Encounter With the Big Spread

The first time I heard about doing a reading with the Big Spread, my first thought was:
That’s a lot of cards.

All 78 Tarot cards laid out at once? That sounded overwhelming.

My teacher smiled and said, “Don’t worry. You won’t use all of them at once - there is a system.”

First, we worked only with the Major Arcana. She called it the School of the Major Arcana.
Only after understanding this part did we move on to include the Minor Arcana.

This way of learning Tarot was very different from anything I had seen in books - and later also very different from other online courses I explored.

At first, it looked hard. But surprisingly, it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Step by step, it started to feel doable.

When we finally added all 78 cards, it still looked like a lot - I have to admit. I remember looking at the table and thinking, How am I supposed to read all of this? Even knowing that there was a system behind it.

And yet, at the same time, I felt drawn to it.

There was something very honest about seeing the whole Tarot deck together. No shortcuts. No hiding. Just the full language of Tarot, right there on the table.

When the Cards Started Talking to Each Other

My teacher guided me through the Big Spread step by step. We didn’t jump around randomly. We followed a clear structure.

First, we read the cards around The Fool, who represents the person the reading is for - basically the main character. This part already tells a lot about the personality and the situation of the person.

Then we moved on to the School of the Major Arcana, also called the School of the Houses. From there, we slowly worked our way outward, connecting the meanings and letting the bigger picture unfold.

This was the moment when something clicked.

Instead of reading one card at a time, the cards started to talk to each other. They formed a story. A story that finally made sense.

Was it easy?
No.

I had to think, observe, and - most importantly - trust my intuition. But for the first time, Tarot didn’t feel like memorizing meanings anymore.

It felt alive.

Why the Big Spread Makes Other Tarot Spreads Easier

Something interesting happened once I became more comfortable with the Big Spread.

Smaller Tarot spreads suddenly felt much easier to read.

It was a bit like learning the grammar of a language. Once you understand how sentences are built, short sentences are no problem at all.

Because I had learned to read the Tarot deck as a whole, I no longer felt lost when working with just a few cards. Of course, there are still moments when a spread feels confusing - and I think every Tarot reader knows that feeling.

I also don’t believe that readings have to be “perfect.” What you see in the cards at that moment is right for that moment. Nothing is written in stone. An outcome can change, and sometimes the meaning of the cards only makes sense later.

If you are a Tarot reader, you probably know exactly what I mean 😉

But now, let’s get back to the Big Spread.

The Big Spread Is Not a Shortcut - It’s a Foundation

I don’t think that everyone needs to start with the Big Spread. Tarot is a very personal journey, and different approaches work for different people.

But I do believe that learning the Big Spread at some point can change the way you understand Tarot. It teaches patience. It teaches trust. And it shows you how structure and intuition work together - not against each other. They are a team.

For me, the Big Spread became a foundation. Everything else I read today is built on that.

A Gentle Way to Explore the Big Spread

If you’re curious - and feeling a little adventurous - here’s a gentle way to explore the Big Spread.

Take your Tarot deck, shuffle the cards, and then lay them out one by one.
Before you begin, I suggest checking that The Fool is not the last card. If it is, just shuffle again. (I’ll explain why a bit later.)

Now take the full deck and start laying out the cards.

Begin with the first row of 11 cards.
Under that, place the next row of 11 cards.
Then the next row.
And the next.

Keep going until one card is left.

That last card is placed beside the Big Spread.

Finding the Fool

In the Big Spread, The Fool represents the main character.
That can be you - or the person receiving the reading.

So now, look at your spread and find The Fool.

Everything around The Fool describes the personality of this person.

This can be very interesting. And one important thing here: there is no judgment.

For example, if the Seven of Swords appears next to The Fool, this does not mean the person is a thief or a liar. It could mean that the person is very smart, clever, or knows how to find a way around challenges.

So always remember:
Tarot shows energy and possibilities, not labels. 😊

Even this part alone can already be a very interesting and fun reading.

You don’t have to understand everything at once.
Just observe.
Let the cards speak.

The Extra Card - A Theme

Now let’s look at the card you put aside.

This card can show a main theme for The Fool right now - basically what is important for the Fool at this moment.

Maybe it’s about:

love
work
inner growth
a challenge
a new beginning

For example, if the Five of Pentacles shows up here, you know the person is going through some challenges.

There’s no right or wrong here.
Just notice what comes up.

Looking at Specific Topics

You can also choose a theme yourself.

For example:

If you want to look at love, find The Lovers card and look at the cards around it.
If you want to explore work, choose a card that represents work for you - maybe the Eight of Pentacles, or another card that feels right - and again, look at the surrounding cards.

Suddenly, the spread doesn’t feel so overwhelming anymore.

It becomes playful.
Curious.
Alive.

So you see, these are just a few steps on how you can read when working with the Big Spread. There is a lot more to learn.

I teach this in my course “Advanced Tarot Card Reading – The Big Spread.”
But now, let’s talk about The Fool again.

And What If the Fool Is the Extra Card?

I mentioned earlier that you can put The Fool back into the deck if it would be the last card - and then shuffle again. This is the simplest way to handle it, because yes… sometimes it happens.

You lay out all the cards, put one aside - and of course, it’s The Fool.

At first, this can feel a bit annoying. You’ve just laid out all 78 cards, and now the Fool is the extra card. That can be confusing, and you might ask yourself, What now?

That was exactly my question to my teacher back then.

She laughed and said,
“If this happens, just start from the beginning.”

And yes - that is one option.
But honestly, laying out 78 cards again takes a bit of patience 😄

So you actually have two options:

make sure The Fool is not the last card before you start, shuffle and start again
or simply take it as it is

If you take it as it is, this situation can actually tell a very clear story.

When The Fool is the extra card, it often means that the person is between chapters. Not fully “in the story” yet. Something new wants to begin, but the step hasn’t been taken.

The Fool standing aside can say:

something new is calling
a leap is waiting
the direction is not fully decided yet
the journey hasn’t started - but it’s close

In this case, The Fool becomes the theme of the whole spread.

So if you try this out, decide for yourself what feels right.
I personally take it as it is - because from my experience, this happens very rarely.

Reading the Spread Without the Fool in It

When The Fool is not inside the spread, I personally don’t worry about it.

I still use all the steps I can, even without The Fool being in the layout. But this is really up to you - you can start again, or you can read the spread a little differently.

You could ask, for example:

What kind of world is waiting for the person once they step in?

The cards then show the landscape, the influences, the lessons, and the atmosphere - and The Fool is about to enter it.

It’s actually a very beautiful message.

A Little Smile From the Cards

So if The Fool ends up as the extra card, I don’t worry.
I smile.

Because The Fool always knows what he’s doing…
even when he pretends not to 😉

Why I Love the Big Spread

Moments like this - when The Fool is trying to fool me - are exactly why I love the Big Spread.

It doesn’t follow rigid rules.
It responds.
It adapts.
It tells a story - even when things don’t look “perfect”.

And that’s very much like life.

A Gentle Note (Before You Panic 😄)

Okay… maybe this gentle way to explore the Big Spread was not so gentle after all 😊
And yes, realizing that there is so much more to learn can feel a bit overwhelming. I know that feeling very well.

If you’re new to the Big Spread and you read this and think, “Wait… 78 cards?! That’s too much for my brain today,”then yes - totally understandable.

Don’t worry.

The Big Spread is not something you have to master in one afternoon. It’s something you grow into, step by step.

And if you feel drawn to it in some way - and I truly believe you will feel it when you’re ready - then you’re already on the right track.

A Personal Reflection

Looking back, learning the Big Spread helped me move from knowing Tarot to truly understanding it. It taught me to slow down, notice patterns, and trust what unfolds when the cards are allowed to speak together.

If you feel called to go deeper with Tarot and explore the cards in a more holistic way, the Big Spread might be the doorway you’re looking for.

And if you’re curious to learn how I work with this spread step by step, we have you covered. I created an advanced Tarot course based on my own experience with the Big Spread - gentle, clear, and very practical.

👉 The Art of Advanced Tarot Card Reading – The Big Spread

If you’re new to Tarot:
You might enjoy starting with my beginner-friendly course “The Art of Tarot Card Reading.”

I hope you could relate to this post. And if you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, you know where to find me in the GateLightElearning.com Community.

Categories: : tarot, Tarot Cards, tarot Spread