Six Love Tarot Spreads, With Worked Examples

Ask the same love question with a different spread and you get a different angle on it. Two cards give you a direction; seven cards let you lay both people's thoughts and feelings side by side. This guide walks through the six love tarot spreads ORAE actually offers, from the simple Two Cards spread to the Two-Person Connection. For each one you'll find when to use it, what each position means (as the site defines them) and a short example reading. The questions and cards in the examples are invented for teaching; the meanings come from ORAE's card data. When you're ready, you can draw on the love tarot reading page.

Choosing a Love Tarot Spread

Spread	Cards	Best for
Two Cards	2	One piece of concrete advice
Past · Present · Future	3	Seeing how a connection developed
Five Card Deep Dive	5	Single life and blind spots
Love & Relationship	6	Dating, feeling stuck, reconciliation
A/B Choice	6	A dilemma in love
Two-Person Connection	7	Crushes and comparing both sides

The rule of thumb: the simpler the question, the fewer the cards. Add cards when more people or more layers are involved. If you're unsure, start with three.

1. Two Cards: One Situation, One Piece of Advice

Use it when you want a quick, practical direction. Link the cards in one sentence: "Because the situation is ___, I'm advised to ___."

Example question: "We've been together two years and we talk less and less. What can I do?"

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
Situation	The heart of the current situation.	Four of Cups	Things feel flat; attention has drifted to what's missing
Advice	The most helpful attitude or action to take.	Page of Cups	A tender message or small surprise to bring back early curiosity

Put together: because the relationship has slipped into noticing only what's missing, start with one sincere little message rather than waiting for your partner to change first.

2. Past · Present · Future: The Arc of a Situationship

The classic timeline spread, for when you want to know how you got here and where things may go. The Future position is the likely direction if the current path continues, not a fixed ending.

Example question: "We've been in a situationship for three months. Where might it go?"

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
Past	Past experiences and influences that shaped the situation.	Page of Wands	A playful start full of flirty messages
Present	Where you stand now and the central theme.	Two of Swords	Both of you are holding back and avoiding certain topics
Future	The likely direction if the current path continues.	Seven of Pentacles	Slow, steady growth that needs time, and a moment to check direction

From spark to stalemate: at this pace the connection won't vanish, but it won't suddenly bloom either. To change the trajectory, look at the Present card. The Two of Swords asks you to lower your guard and be honest about what you feel.

3. Five Card Deep Dive: Blind Spots While Single

The Present sits in the centre, with the Challenge above, Hidden Influence on the left, Advice on the right and Likely Outcome below. It suits single readers who want to meet someone, or anyone who feels stuck.

Example question: "I'd like to meet someone new. What should I pay attention to right now?"

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
Present	The core of the situation now.	The Hermit	A reflective phase, working out what kind of love you need
Challenge	The main challenge you face.	Five of Cups	Still steeped in regret over the last relationship
Hidden Influence	Influences you may not have noticed.	Nine of Pentacles	You already take good care of yourself, and that ease is attractive
Advice	The most helpful course of action.	Three of Cups	Say yes to gatherings; meet people through friends
Likely Outcome	The likely development given current energy.	Ace of Cups	A chance of a new heart-opening connection

The story: reflection is necessary, but don't let regret fill the whole view. The Nine of Pentacles says you don't need a relationship to prove your worth, so walk into the room with ease. The Ace of Cups is a possible direction, not a promise, and it depends on you opening your heart.

4. Love & Relationship: Dating and Reconciliation

The top row is You, The Relationship and The Other Person; the bottom row is Obstacle, Advice and Development. It suits dating, a stuck relationship or a reconciliation question. ORAE's marriage & partnership tarot and reconciliation tarot both use it.

Example question: "We've lived together for three years and feel more like housemates. How can we nurture this?"

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
You	Your feelings and state in this relationship.	Queen of Pentacles	You show love through attentive care and practical support
The Relationship	Where the relationship stands now.	Knight of Pentacles reversed	A predictable routine with few surprises or real conversations
The Other Person	The other person's likely feelings and state.	Four of Swords	Your partner may be worn out and need breathing room
Obstacle	What the relationship needs to work through.	Ten of Wands	You carry too much, and love has become a one-way load
Advice	Advice for nurturing this relationship.	Six of Cups	Rediscover first-love sweetness through simple care and small surprises
Development	Where the relationship may be heading.	Temperance	Mutual adjustment leading to steady, lasting harmony

Compare You and The Other Person first: you're giving, they're resting, and your rhythms don't match. The Ten of Wands asks you to let your partner care for you too, and the Six of Cups is wonderfully concrete: revisit the things you used to do when you first got together. Temperance is a likely direction, provided you both adjust.

5. A/B Choice: A Dilemma in Love

Your Situation sits in the middle, with Path A and Path B on either side, each outcome above its path and Key Advice at the top centre. Define clearly what A and B mean before you draw.

Example question: After a year of long distance: "A: move to their city next year. B: stay long-distance for another year and decide then."

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
Your Situation	Your state and considerations as you choose.	Two of Wands	You're thinking about the future and weighing two paths
Path A	What choosing A would feel like.	Six of Swords	A transition, leaving familiar ground and moving toward calmer water
Outcome of A	Where choice A is likely to lead.	Ten of Pentacles	Long-term commitment and a shared life you can rely on
Path B	What choosing B would feel like.	Two of Pentacles	Constantly juggling work, life and love to keep in sync
Outcome of B	Where choice B is likely to lead.	Three of Wands reversed	A gap between hopes and reality; distance and time zones strain communication
Key Advice	A reminder to help you decide.	Justice	Talk honestly and fairly about what each of you gives and commits

This doesn't say "you must move". It shows where the cost sits: A is hard in the process, B is risky in the result. Justice reminds you that moving affects work and daily life, so who adjusts what is a decision for both of you to talk through calmly. For a quick side-by-side, there's also a two-choice reading.

6. Two-Person Connection: Both Sides, Thoughts and Feelings

The left column is you, the right column is the other person, and the middle column, from top to bottom, holds The Connection, Shared Challenge and Future. The richest information often lies in the gap between one person's thoughts and their feelings. ORAE's their feelings tarot and crush tarot both use this spread.

Example question: "We've been friends for six months and lately we often have dinner alone. Where do we stand?"

Position	Meaning	Example card	Reading
Your Thoughts	What you think about this relationship.	Page of Swords	Curious, wanting to understand how they think
Your Feelings	How you truly feel inside.	The Lovers	A strong attraction is already there
Their Thoughts	What the other person may be thinking.	Queen of Swords	Clear-headed with firm boundaries, not one to settle
Their Feelings	How the other person may feel inside.	The High Priestess	Quiet, deep feelings, more felt than said
The Connection	The current dynamic between you.	Eight of Wands	Lots of messages; things are moving fast
Shared Challenge	The challenge you face together.	The Moon	Mixed signals and plenty of guesswork
Future	Where the relationship may be heading.	Two of Cups	A chance of mutual attraction

Your feelings (The Lovers) are more certain than your thoughts (Page of Swords); they seem measured, with their feelings kept inside. The connection is lively, but the shared challenge is The Moon: both of you are guessing. If you'd like the Two of Cups to become real, the most useful step isn't another draw. It's finding a moment to say things plainly.

Four Reminders for Reading Love Spreads

• See the whole before the parts. The mix of suits and the number of reversals often set the tone of the relationship.
• Cards about the other person are possibilities. What they really think still comes out through time together and conversation.
• Outcome and development positions are trends. They show where things go if nothing changes; change your approach and the direction can change too.
• Choose the question before the spread. A muddled question only gets muddier with more cards. See what to ask in a love tarot reading.

Try It on ORAE

All six love tarot spreads are free on ORAE, with no account needed and no AI: meanings are combined by fixed rules. Type your question on the love tarot reading page and the site suggests suitable spreads, or browse All spreads and pick your own. You can choose Auto shuffle & deal, Pick by hand or Interactive cut, and read at Basic, Deep or Expert depth. For a longer arc, try the Seven Card Horseshoe; for a full ten-card example, see the Celtic Cross worked example. A spread is only a frame for your thinking. How you care for a relationship is still in your hands and theirs.