A large Tarot spread (such as the Ten Card Spread) is often filled with a smattering of cards from each suit, as well as one or two images from the Major Arcana. Sometimes one suit dominates the spread, and this indicates the focus of the reading is about one issue in particular.
A spread filled with Cups is going to be offering relationship advice. Lots of Pentacles in a layout suggests business and financial matters are on the person’s mind. When Swords dominate a Tarot reading, the person has lots of issues they are worrying about. And a spread with many Wands shows travel, inspiration, or restlessness.
What about a spread dominated by lots of Major Arcana cards? Wow! That leads to a powerful reading! A spread with a large number of positive Major Arcana cards reveals major changes in a person’s spiritual life. It normally occurs when people dedicate themselves to self-improvement. It reveals a leap of consciousness where their spiritual growth is taken to a new level. When there are lots of negative Major Arcana cards, it shows a person who is being shaken awake and dragged away from a period of stagnation or complacency. When you have become stuck in a situation that is not for your highest good, sometimes your inner self forces radical changes to occur and your ‘normal’ world collapses. When the dust settles you have to re-evaluate your circumstances.
But what about when a suit is missing from a Tarot reading? It happens more often than you realise. And its easy to have it slip by unnoticed because we’re usually concentrating on the cards in front of us, rather than looking for what’s missing.
You can learn a lot from a reading when certain cards are missing. If you don’t have any cards from the suit of Cups in a spread, it means an emotional attachment to the situation is not present. This isn’t a good sign if you are doing a relationship reading!
A business reading that is missing the suit of Pentacles means the financial aspect of the business is not as important as other qualities associated with the person’s work.
If you are missing the suit of Swords, not a lot of rational, logical thinking is going into the situation.
When Wands are missing, you can ask yourself, “Where’s the passion gone?”
What about when the Major Arcana is missing from a spread? This indicates the reading is only about the mundane aspects of a person’s life. There’s unlikely to be any spiritual highs or lows for the person at this time.
So remember, look at the spread with the intention of seeing what’s in front of you, and also look for what’s missing too.