a good old fashioned relationship spread

Delving into a relationship with Tarot is one of its most tempting uses. Some readers will state that they do not read for non-present third parties and therefore will only approach the relationship from your point of view, unable to offer insight into your partner's feelings. I do read third parties but I think I do it in a responsible way, and once a querent has read my policies they will understand that I don't believe anything is set in stone and that circumstances are forever changing (which is the only true certainty).

So, if you want to take a deeper look into your relationship, here's one spread I like to use that could help. It's a ten card spread - five cards for you, five for your partner, and here's what they represent:

• card 1 - the circumstances when you first met each other. This one looks into what was going on in your lives at the origin of the relationship, how you both felt about the new connection and any obstacles (both inner and outer) that could have affected its progression.
• card 2 - the circumstances over the next period of the relationship. As the relationship deepened and matured it went through its honeymoon period and then presumably onto a more down-to-earth phase where realism and compromise were the order of the day. These two cards serve to describe that period for both you and your partner.
• card 3 - the current situation. Where is the relationship currently at? How are things going? Do you have different points of view on a key factor? These cards can help to clarify matters in the here and now.
• card 4 - the circumstances in the immediate future. This is for looking at any issues on the horizon and for taking a look at how the next phase of your life with your partner might play out if you stay on your current path.
• card 5 - the longer term circumstances. I only read someone's cards for a six to twelve month period so this is the time span I'm looking to cover. These cards are to look at how to invest in the relationship for the long term and anything you might need to think about or put into action.

Sometimes additional advice cards can be drawn if you feel it's appropriate, for example if you feel that the reading is overly negative or it left questions unanswered.

click here for a Relationship Spread from The Four Queens