Well, this has been a long time coming.

Whilst all kinds of tarot spreads can be used to tackle the many questions or issues that can arise within poly (or any) relationships, I created this particular spread to help individuals to deal with a specific kind of question – one that I’ve heard a lot from poly folks:

How can I make sure I’m the best person I can be within my relationship/s?

Poly or not, we all want that for our relationships. But when your love life involves more than one partner, it can be extra-helpful to know who you are, what you’re bringing and how you can best deal with the issues that can arise from loving and being loved by a number of people. This spread looks at the strengths of your relationship/s, as well as potential issues, and tools for dealing with these.

There are two versions of this spread – you can pick which is right for your question or situation.

Sometimes you want to look at the whole shebang, and draw cards for the other people involved, other times you want to focus on yourself and your needs, without the distraction of other peoples’ energy.

Either way, this is a spread that has a one-person focus at its heart.

Even with the second version, where other partners are represented within the spread, the cards are there to illustrate what the individual is experiencing. In poly relationships, it can sometimes be hard to hear an individual’s voice, so this spread is designed to raise that voice.

Version 1. The focus is totally on the individual querent here, looking completely at them and what they bring to and need from the relationship.

Version 2. The focus stays mainly on the individual, but there is space to bring in other partners and a card for the entire relationship as a ‘unit’ or whole.

The card layout remains the same whichever version you choose.

Polyamoury tarot spread – Version 1

1. Who you are in this relationship – two cards, one crossed by the other. The first is you, right at the centre. The second is your ‘challenge’ at this time, or something you are carrying.

2. Your special skills – personal qualities you are bringing to the relationship (three separate cards)

3. A potential issue, and a possible solution.

4. A potential issue, and a possible solution.

5. Your safe place – when you are giving and receiving so much love and energy, it’s important to have a place where you can retreat. This card offers an idea of a place that is just yours, something you don’t have to share if you don’t want to.

Polyamoury tarot spread – Version 2

1. Who you are in this relationship – two cards, one crossed by the other. The first is you, right at the centre. The second is your ‘challenge’ at this time, or something you are carrying.

2. Energy brought by other people into your relationship/s. Lay as many cards here as you have partners. Each of these cards represents one of your partners, how they are affecting you right now or what they are bringing to the relationship.

3. A potential issue, and a possible solution.

4. A potential issue, and a possible solution.

5. The foundation of the whole thing – why you are doing this, a safe place that everyone can come back to if things get rocky, or something you can celebrate together if things are good.

Ten of Bottles from The Collective Tarot

I have other ‘relationship’ tarot spreads for when you want to get together with all of your lovers and do a big tarot reading together, and I’ll share these another time. What I like about this spread, and why I often use it with my poly querents, is that it’s focus is so strongly on what the individual is experiencing.

Cards shown in this post are: Three of Cups from the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell, The Lovers from the Dreaming Way Tarot by Rome Choi and Kwon Shina, Ten of Bottles from the Collective Tarot.

Like this post? You can view a selection of my favourite tarot spreads here.

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