Free tarot spreads

A spread is the way the cards are laid on the table: how many are drawn, where each one goes and what each place asks. The same card says different things depending on whether it falls in the past, the obstacle or the advice — which is why choosing the right spread is half of a good reading.

On Sol da Alma you will find eighteen free spreads: ten for the Tarot, six for the Lenormand and two of our own, which bring both decks together on the same table. They all work the same way — you write your question, shuffle and draw — and the reading appears written out straight afterwards, card by card and then as a whole. No account or sign-up is needed.

Below you will find them all, from the shortest to the most complete, with the number of cards and what each one is for. Click on any of them to see how it is laid out and what each position means, or go straight to the table.

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Sol da Alma spreads — Tarot and Lenormand together

☉12345678 Sol da Alma — General18 cards The spread of the house, and the only one laid with both decks at once: each house receives one Tarot card and one Lenormand card, one upon the other. The Sun sits at the centre, and eight houses turn around it.See the spread → 12345678 Sol da Alma — Love16 cards The spread that answers about the OTHER person. Seven houses tell how they felt, how they feel and how they will come to feel, what they hold in the heart and what they hold in the mind, what holds them back and what they hope for; the eighth is the advice, and that one is for you. It is laid with both decks at once: each house receives one Tarot card and one Lenormand card, one upon the other, and the eight draw a heart.See the spread →

Tarot spreads

123 Three Cards3 cards The simplest layout: where the question comes from, how it stands now and where it is going.See the spread → 1 Card of the Day1 card A single card and what it points to for the day at hand.See the spread → 12345 The Cross5 cards A layout between the Three Cards and the Celtic Cross. It names the situation, the force working in its favour, the one working against it, the root beneath and the likely outcome.See the spread → 12345 Marseille Cross5 cards The tirage en croix of the French tradition, tied to the old Marseille cards. It sets the favourable elements apart from the unfavourable ones, offers advice and a conclusion, and places at the centre the card that gathers up the other four.See the spread → 123456 The Pyramid6 cards Three cards at the base — the facts, what is felt and what is thought —, two in the middle, with what comes of them and what still resists, and one at the top, with the meaning of the whole.See the spread → 1234567 The Horseshoe7 cards Seven cards laid in an arc, from the past to the result. Between the two it shows what is not yet visible, the main obstacle and where the other people involved stand.See the spread → 1234567 The Decision7 cards Two columns, one for each path under consideration. For each: what it offers, what it asks and where it leads. At the top, the card that names what is truly at stake in the choice.See the spread → 1234567 The Relationship7 cards The two people in a relationship, set side by side: how each one stands, what exists between them, what each one contributes, what is missing and where it is likely to go if nothing changes.See the spread → 13456789102 Celtic Cross10 cards The most complete layout here, and the oldest. It examines the question from every side: the present situation, the obstacle running through it, its root, what is left behind, what draws near, how the querent sees themselves, the surroundings, their hopes and fears, and the likely outcome.See the spread → 12345678910 Tree of Life10 cards One card for each sephirah, in the kabbalistic layout: from the origin of the question at the top to its concrete expression at the foot of the Tree. It is read downwards, with the central pillar giving the whole its direction.See the spread →

Lenormand spreads

123 Three Cards3 cards The shortest sentence the Lenormand makes. Three cards read from left to right as one reads a line: the first prepares, the middle one rules, the last concludes.See the spread → 1 Card of the Day1 card A single card, for the day that is beginning. It answers no question: it gives the word worth keeping an eye on in the hours ahead.See the spread → 12345 Five Cards5 cards The same line, longer: the root on the left, the outcome on the right and, at the centre, what is truly at stake. It gives the matter in time, from what has been to what is still to come.See the spread → 12345 Lenormand Cross5 cards Five cards in a cross around the question: above, what sets its tone; below, the hidden root; on the left what is leaving, on the right what is arriving.See the spread → 1234567 The Path7 cards Seven cards in a row, like a journey: where you stand, what was left behind, the stone in the road, the heart of the matter, the helping hand, the next step and the place of arrival.See the spread → 123456789 Square of Nine9 cards Nine cards in three rows of three. The rows are time — past above, present in the middle, future below — and the card at the centre is the querent and the question at once; every other card is read in relation to it.See the spread →

How to choose a spread

Start with the question, not the spread. A small, concrete question — ‘will I hear back this week?’ — is well served by Three Cards or the Card of the Day. A question with two sides calls for the Marseille Cross or The Decision, which set the paths side by side. A matter with a history and other people involved calls for The Horseshoe; a relationship, for The Relationship or the Sol da Alma — Love spread.

Long spreads are not better than short ones: they are for bigger questions. The Celtic Cross and the Tree of Life have ten cards each and take time to read; using them for an everyday doubt is like unfolding a map of the whole country to walk to the corner shop. When you are not quite sure what to ask, The Pyramid helps to sort the matter out layer by layer.

The Lenormand answers in a different way. Its thirty-six cards are read like the words of a sentence, one beside the other, and give more concrete, quicker answers — who is coming, what is arriving, where this is heading. The Lenormand spreads range from Three Cards to the Square of Nine.

How the reading works

You choose the deck and the spread, write your question and shuffle. The cards come from a complete deck shuffled there and then, and the reading appears written out straight afterwards: first each card in the place where it fell, then the spread as a whole, which is where it comes alive. In the Tarot a few cards may come out reversed, but only a few, as at a real table; in the Lenormand never, because its cards have no upside-down meaning.

The reading on screen is always free. If you wish to go deeper, you can order an in-depth PDF report at the end, written position by position and with the images of the cards — it is optional, and for each spread you can see a sample before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

Are the spreads really free?

Yes. All the spreads and the reading written on screen are free, with no account and no sign-up. Only the in-depth PDF report, which is optional, is paid for.

What is the best spread for beginners?

Three Cards — past, present and future. It is short, clear and suits almost any question. When your question grows, move on to The Cross or The Horseshoe.

What is the difference between the Tarot and the Lenormand?

The Tarot has seventy-eight cards and speaks more of what is going on inside — motives, forces, paths. The Lenormand has thirty-six cards and speaks more directly and concretely about events. The Sol da Alma spreads use both at the same time.

Can I ask the same question again?

You can, but it is not good practice. A spread answers the moment in which it was drawn; repeating it straight away usually just muddles the answer. It is better to reread the first one calmly, or to come back to the question a few days later.

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