OK, so we thought we would start with a 3-card spread. This can be one of your own if you have a favourite. Alternately, I have dug out my little Book of Spreads that I have built up over the years for inspiration and here are just a few of my favourites. I thought it might be more interesting to avoid simply "past, present + future" spreads. just to stretch us a bit more.
1 *** 2 *** 3
issue *** problem *** opportunities
decision *** for *** against
me now *** where I'm going *** how to get there
Situation *** what hinders *** what helps
Situation *** what blocks *** advice
Querent *** question *** answer
You *** "them" *** the outcome
The Querent *** The Issue *** how they interact
... and a different order of laying down the cards
2 *** 1 *** 3
Choice A *** Querent *** Choice B
a bad thing *** the Querent *** a good thing
Another alternative, and one I love when reading, is what I call my "snapshot" spreads, which is three cards laid out and to read them as a continual narrative of a given situation, i.e the three cards don't have positions as such but the cards can be related to one another in terms of rhythms, parallels, who is looking where, who is turning their back or pointing or swiping a sword, that kind of thing.
Happy Readings!