clarification on reading a spread

hi all..
greetings !!
im a new tarot card reader and hence trying to increase my reading skills.
i want to ask something and i.e when i see some kind of spread for eg.
..3..1..2
..6..4..5
then how shall i start doing it by myself?
the wider question is that when i take the 1st card out,i should keep in the middle and then take out
the 2nd card and keep it to the right of 1st card?

and is it really important to keep the cards in the specific shape as seen in the forums here?
just need an indepth guidance..
please help.
regards
hv

hv.tarot said:

is it really important to keep the cards in the specific shape as seen in the forums here?

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In general terms, the shape someone chose when creating a spread is to act as a mnemonic device to help them remember what position carries what particular meaning or how certain cards are supposed to relate to each other. In reality, the 6-card reading you show could just be 1-2-3-4-5-6 in a straight line as long as you rememebr what each positional meaning is. However, no one uses a Celtic Line Spread.

Sometimes a particuar spread is mostly to help the Querent understand how the cards relate to each other.

I don't usually bother with the shape of a spread. If I do a Celtic Cross I use the standard layout, though. Usually, for most other spreads, I just put them out in a straight line. For the Umbrae relationship spread I lay out three rows of three, one above the other so it comes out looking squarish.

so actually shape is just to remember the spread and practically the cards are layed out in a straight line form only?
is that right?
in some spread the cards are kept on each other like celtic spread.
so as im the reader i just have to read them as card 1 and 2 or is there any other kind of reading?
thanx for your reply guys...

hv.tarot said:

So as I'm the reader I just have to read them as card 1 and 2 or is there any other kind of reading?

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In a Celtic Cross spread there are 10 cards - the layout really does not mean much other than the 'old school' positional meanings of 'This is what is above you' or 'This is what is below you', etc. You could lay the 10 cards out in a line, an arc, or a circle! If you believe that the 7th card is the Internal and the 8th card is the External - they are still the 7th and 8th cards off the pack - no matter where you end up placing them.

I will make a personal observation, though - For me the 1st card off the pack is Card #1, the 2nd card is card #2, etc., and they should be read in that order. I did know someone who would lay out the cards in one order but read them in another! I always found that to be odd. Shouldn't the 4th card off the pack be read as Card#4? She didn't think so, but it was her way of reading things.

hmm..that is something to think of..
anyways you guys have helped me a lot.
thanx for your suggestions !!
tarot card reading...here i come !!