Yes/No Tarot Spreads

There's many different opinions about yes/no spreads and whether we should do them.  As a reader it is inevitable that eventually someone is going to ask you a yes or no question, some readers refuse to read for these instead having their querants revise the question so it's open-ended.

For those that do read these questions there are two main popular methods.  The first is using upright cards as "tick points" for a yes and reversals for a no.  Based on how many of these cards appear in the spread determines whether the answer is a yes or no, then the cards are read to give further insight into the answer.  The other method is to do a basic 3-5 card free-form reading, in this way it is upon the reader to determine the answer to the question.

When determining how I was going to approach the yes/no dilemma I started experimenting with different spreads.  For me, the first system was immediately out because I do not read reversals.  I started with Raven's Quick Croax since I'm a huge fan of her spreads.

1 = Yes            2 = No          3 = Why

In this way the cards give their conditions for the answer to be a yes or no and why.  I think this spread would be most useful in an in person reading where you can discuss both paths and determine which path the querant will most likely take without revealing which is which until the end.

For me, this spread was confusing because my base spread is a single card with 4 modifiers so it was a stretch for me to switch to two cards with the same modifier.  I decided to alter the spread so the 3 card was the answer and the first two were modifiers in either direction, I also changed the order I threw the cards to positions 3-1-2.

However I still kept getting stuck when I had to decide whether the answer was a yes or no.  My left-brain getting the better of me.  I needed to find a more systematic formula like the reversal method.  The spread I came up with and I still use for these pesky questions is

TJ McKeown's Yes/No Approach

My system for Yes/No questions (I’m not sure if you would call it a spread) requires knowledge of the Major Arcana and their order. After shuffling the deck you answer the question by dealing the cards in a pile as you count the cards. 

• Aces are Yes

• Tens are No

If you do not get an Ace or a Ten within 22 cards then the Answer is unavailable or the Question was incorrect. As you deal the cards and count you remember which card it was when an Ace or Ten is laid. You stop dealing and Take into consideration which number it was and the suit.

The yes or no is answered by the number (Ace or 10). The Suit gives more information as does the number 1, 2, 3, … , 22). Match the number to the Major Arcana it represents and this too gives more information. So instead of just a yes or No you get a little background being the answer, perhaps a Why or Why not.

I have been using this system for a while and it has proven to be pretty accurate. I have also used it at psychic fairs.

 So far for me this system has been incredibly accurate and I find it quite fun.  I think the systematic approach to determining an answer is balanced by allowing the cards the option to not have an answer.  While I was worried about telling this to clients at first, the best approach is to follow it with the suggestion that they wait awhile to ask this particular question and maybe things need to develop more before the answer is clear.