Which 4-card spread do you need?

4-card spreads can be quickly and easily created by simply adding a card onto a 3-card spread such as advice card or obstacle card. Here are some 4-card spreads start with a minimum of 4 cards (with the option of adding onto them).

Compass Spread: Each card represents a direction and its corresponding element. As each element has a corresponding suit, you could opt to take cards only from that suit. For example, draw the west card from cups, the north card from pentacles, the east card from swords, and the south card from wands. If you're reading professionally and don't have time to sort the cards into suits as the querent waits, perhaps keep a separate deck pre-sorted. Of course, this spread works fine from a fully shuffled deck as well.

West/North/East/South

West: Water element (cups), emotional realm. This card represents emotions, love, subconscious mind, deep connections with loved ones, and hidden wisdom.

North: Earth element (pentacles), physical realm. This card represents practical matters such as finances, career, the physical world, day-to-day dealings, and home.

East: Air element (swords), mental realm. This card represent intellect, ideas, the conscious mind, decisions, psychology, logic, and conflict.

South: Fire element (wands), spiritual realm. This card represents, passion, motivation, inspiration, and what drives us, including a need to connect with the Divine.

Affluence Spread: This spread answer the question: how can I be more affluent?

Influence/ Assistance/Challenge/Outcome

Principal Influence/guiding force: This card represents the energy of what influences us at this time.

What or who can help me: Even if you draw a darker card such as the 10 of swords or 5 of pentacles, view it as something you need to let go of or avoid.

A Challenge to handle: This card represents an obstacle or challenge along the way. It could be something to let go of, a reminder of what to focus on, or a warning.

Outcome: the outcome card usually projects about 6 months ahead if the advice from cards 1-3 are followed. When a darker card appears in the outcome position, it could be a warning of a likely outcome if focus is lost. Conversely, it could represent what you overcome.

Advice 4 You: need a little advice in general or about a specific situation? This is a quick and effective advice spread. What to release/Your energy or the energy of the situation/What to embrace/Obstacle

What to release: or what you could use less of. What if you get a really happy card like the sun or the 10 of cups? How can we need less healing or happiness? It could be you need to worry less, or release your worry about these great things (because they're already happening!) Or, you are devoting too much time or resources on them.

Your energy/the situation's energy: this can be tricky with certain cards. If you get the tower card, what does that say about energy? We associate this card with significant changes. It makes sense in the past/present/future position. But in the energy position, look instead at the energy that big changes carry: frenzy, excitement, anticipation, anxiety. Ask, what is the mood or feeling of this card?

What to embrace/what we need more of: just like the 'what to release' card, certain cards can see strange to 'embrace.' How do we embrace the devil card or the 9 of swords? We certainly don't need more unhealthy attachments, or more worrying at night. What we need is to accept and embrace these shadowy sides of ourselves (perform shadow work) so they no longer control us. Like step 1 of a 12-step recovery program: 'admit we are powerless over XYZ.' Addicts in recovery must accept they are addicts; Then they lovingly embrace this about themselves in order to heal.

I call the 9 of swords the 'insomnia card.' Of course, nobody needs more insomnia. However, they need to accept (and embrace) what is causing their minds to stay awake. The idea of embracing is to lovingly accept something. We can accept a hard truth and resent it. But when we lovingly accept it, it no longer has a negative hold on us.

Obstacle: What is holding you back or getting in the way of your growth? When you get a really light card here, think of it as something you lack and question why. Lacking this thing has become an obstacle and all obstacles can be removed. How? Perhaps draw a 5th card to answer that.