Persian tarot spreads: the 4 ways to read the cards

There are four ways to question the Persian tarot, from the simplest to the most complete. Before every reading, shuffle the cards and cut them with your left hand: that is the instruction Madame Indira passes on with her deck, and it holds for all four methods.

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The one-card spread: the quickest answer

This is the way into the Persian tarot, and the method Madame Indira recommends for getting to know the deck. There is no layout to memorise: a clear question, a card, an answer.

It suits closed questions and mood questions alike — “What energy will be with me today?” is the typical wording. Drawn every morning, it doubles as practice: one card a day, and the 55 cards eventually become familiar.

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The three-card spread: your first sense of perspective

This is the next step, the one that teaches you to let the cards talk to each other rather than read them one at a time. Three cards laid left to right are enough to give a situation some depth.

The chronological reading is the most common one — it is not specific to the Persian tarot, but it applies to it without trouble.

In the Persian tarot this spread comes into its own when the three cards come from different categories: a major arcanum gives the theme, an intermediate card names the person involved, a minor arcanum says what will concretely happen. It is the best exercise for grasping the deck's logic before moving to the cross.

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The seven-card spread: reading by area of life

The scale changes here: the seven-card spread no longer answers a single question, it sweeps several areas of life in one reading.

The layout is particular: after shuffling and cutting with your left hand, you lay seven cards in 3+3+1 — two rows of three, then one card of synthesis.

The areas this spread covers are feelings, material life, what lies ahead, work and luck. One caveat, though: the available sources agree on those areas and on the 3+3+1 layout, but they do not fix a strict “one position = one area” mapping. So decide your positions before you draw and stick to them, rather than applying a grid that is not established.

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The Indira spread: the cross that belongs to this deck

This is the Persian tarot's signature method, the one Madame Indira designed for her own deck. It is not played with all 55 cards: you keep 36.

The arithmetic is simple: the 19 major arcana, the 16 intermediate cards and a single Owl. The 16 minor arcana and the three other Owls stay aside.

It is a demanding spread, best kept for readers who already know the major cards. The exact positions of the Indira cross are not reliably documented in the available sources — we would rather say so than invent one. If you want to practise it properly, a reader trained on this deck remains the best way in.

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Your questions about Persian tarot spreads

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The 4 card categories

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