3 Family Tarot Spreads To Maintain Harmony

Family tarot spreads help us explore our unique place in our family dynamic. Sometimes we need to set boundaries with certain family members and to encourage or support others.

These spreads also give us a non-biased space to analyze the health of our family and what we can do to strengthen and protect them.

How To Use A Family Tarot Spread

Using a family tarot spread is not too dissimilar in action from other types of spreads. We clear our minds, shuffle the cards and ask each question whilst placing the card as indicated in the spread.

However where family spreads can differ from others is in the interpretation of the cards themselves. Whenever we ask tarot questions about our loved ones there are a few small but vital changes to the meanings of all Court and Cup cards and some major arcana cards that we should be aware of.

Court Cards And The Family Dynamic

Another important distinction the courts card might exhibit in family readings is in describing the position or role a person has in our lives.

  • Pages often represent someone younger than us: children, nieces and nephews or people with a youthful appearance or mannerisms.
  • Knights often suggest teenagers, active people, our siblings or people of a similar demographic to us. They can imply people who exist between a few different roles, in the same way that teenagers exist somewhere between the child and adult state.
  • Queens are symbolic of the mother archetype. Though not always female they have feminine qualities and are empathetic and caring in nature. These could be care workers or nurses in their profession or they may fulfill this role for us.
  • Kings personify the father archetype. They may not always be male but have masculine qualities and are stable and protect us. They may hold positions of power, authority or knowledge like teachers, lawyers or law enforcement/national services that they perform as their job role or they may perform this role in our lives.

Court Cards As Multiple People

It is also important to remember that a single court card could represent a collection of people. For example one side of a family, our neighbors or our work colleagues as a whole.

Court Cards As Our Role In The Family

Court cards like all other tarot cards can still represent ourselves too. We should not forget to consider this aspect in our reading. In these cases the court cards ask us to utilize their particular attributes that also exist within us.

1. Me And My Family Tarot Spread

Me and my family tarot spread

This spread shows us our family dynamic in motion. Each card represents a member of our family and how they are currently feeling. The card below it gives us practical advice in how best to interact with or support them at this time.

In the example spread we have used the generic family of four (two parents and 2 siblings including the reader as the second sibling) but tarot readers should pick as many cards needed to describe their individual family and label them accordingly.

  1. Parental guardian 1
  2. Parental guardian 2
  3. Sibling
  4. Me
  5. How could I interact with or support parental guardian 1?
  6. How could I interact with or support parental guardian 2?
  7. How could I interact with or support my sibling?
  8. How could my family interact with or support me?

2. Set Boundaries At Home Tarot Spread

Set boundaries at home tarot spread

Sometimes in families things don’t always go smoothly. We may have a difference of opinion or family members may not support our actions and lifestyle choices.

In these times it can be helpful to create boundaries that protect us as individuals and allow the relationships we have to function.

  1. Other than in certain topics do I feel supported generally by my family/this family member?
  2. Other than certain topics do I feel the relationship(s) are healthy and functioning well?
  3. How could I establish a boundary around certain topics to protect my mental wellness around this person?
  4. How would these boundaries affect the relationship/family dynamic overtime?
  5. How would I approach this person/the family and suggest a boundary to them?
  6. How could I enforce my boundaries if they are overstepped?
  7. What other options or actions do I have which I might have missed?
  8. Do I feel like a compromise could be reached between them and myself and if not how should I proceed? (Take 2 cards if asking the latter half of this question.)

3. Check In With The Kin Family Tarot Spread

Check in with the kin family tarot spread

This spread is used to check in with a specific person and gives us practical guidance for how best to support them in their lives. We learn what we can do to help our connection with them flourish.

  1. The person. Go through your tarot deck and select a court card that best symbolizes this person and place it face up here.
  2. How is this person generally doing in life?
  3. What support does this person need from me now?
  4. What can I do to enhance this relationship?