Tarot Cards

There are no rules, but plenty of inspiration available. 

Card layouts are commonly called "spreads" and can include any number of cards -- 3, 5, 7, 12 whatever you want. Any number. 

There are spreads for all kinds of purposes. There are some I like. But a lot of experienced readers will tell you they don't use spreads. They won't even necessarily even pre-decide how many cards to pull. 

The more you get in touch with your intuition, the less you might reach for structure and guardrails. 

But as you learn, these spreads can be helpful. They help "assign" a single focus or role to each card. And some people like that structure, so they continue using it. :) 

Honestly, when you’re starting out, the layouts can feel more confusing than the cards themselves totally normal! Tarot “formats” are usually called spreads, and they can be as simple or as detailed as you want. Lots of beginners start with a classic 3-card spread (past / present / future or situation / challenge / advice). From there, you can try bigger ones like 5-card or 7-card spreads depending on the questions you’re exploring.

What’s fun is that there’s no strict rulebook. Some readers stick to traditional spreads, while others just pull however many cards they feel drawn to in the moment. As your intuition gets stronger, you’ll naturally find your own style some people even create their own spreads over time.

If you want good learning resources, Biddy Tarot has great beginner guides, and Labyrinthos has free courses and visuals. For videos, The Tarot Readers Academy and The Gem Goddess explain spreads really clearly.