Learning the Tarot is a daunting task at first.   There are a multitude of books around on what each card means, reversals, corresponding herbs, stones, runes, oils, planets, divinities, etc. Most only give a brief look at spreads. Which is really tragic! The cards themselves are only half the story.   Their archetypical meanings, combined with the specific application of their meanings as shown by the position the card appears in, gives us a useful, clear, and more specific reading. Many people who have bought tarot decks, spent countless hours learning what each card means, and then couldn't give themselves or anyone else a decent reading. The problem wasn't their abilities or deck, but the spreads they were using. Most tarot books show a few layouts and briefly state what each position means. The most common of these, and shown in almost every tarot booklet/book, is the Celtic Cross. It's a lovely spread, but some can't use it. A three-card, "Past, Present, and Future" spread is also very common.   Some layouts are too rigid, too unspecific to the problem and what the reader wants to know. These are MEANT to be general spreads, not spreads for looking into a specific situation or problem.

Just like it's okay to go with your gut instincts on tarot cards, it's also okay to make up your own spreads or even to use none at all.   As long as you know, while you are shuffling, that "this card is going to mean..." and then pull it.   You can get as specific as you need in order to understand your situation  

The Celtic Cross

Correlations do vary slightly, but this is a common interpretation.

1 - Present influences - Basic worry or upset affecting the subject.
2 - Present events - Factor for change, source of resistance.
3 - Past events - The source of the problem affecting the subject.
4 - Past influences - Resolved problems, fading influences.
5 - Future events - Expectations for the future, what the subject thinks will happen.
6 - Future influences - Something that is growing in importance, developing concern.
7 - Self - How the subject is contributing to the situation, subject's self image.
8 - Environment - Operating context, expectations of others, emotional climate.
9 - Hopes and fears - Lessons to be learnt, words of warning, the subject's personal demon.
10 - Final outcome - The most likely result, where it will lead.

A reversed card shows that a card's energy is present, but with reduced influence.

PENTAGRAM SPREAD II:
Same layout, but..
Card 1 is a possible outcome of the situation.
Card 2 is sub-conscious (What is unseen or needs to be thought about).
Card 3 is near future.
Card 4 is past (what led up to this situation).
Card 5 is conscious (what is seen or needs to be done).
Card 6 is an alternate possible outcome.
These are my own spreads.

THE GODDESS SPREAD

This is my Goddess spread, using 13 cards. Basically, it looks like a clock. Lay the cards in a circle, with the thirteenth card in the middle. I usually start with where the nine would be on a clock face, then lay the cards counter-clockwise. This, however is a personal decision. You can start at the top and go clockwise, if you wish.

The first three cards relate to the Fates, the daughters of Nyx: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.
Clotho is the spinner. She tells you what led up to the problem at hand. Lachesis is the measurer. She tells you what the current situation is. Atropos tells us what's in the near future regarding the situation.

The next three cards are Sul, Luna and Nyx.
Sul tells us what influences are at work for us. Luna shows us what influences are hidden from us, and Nyx tells us the best course of action to take in this situation.

The next three cards are Arianrhod, Erishkegal and Athena.
Arianrhod, the Lady of Caer Aranrhod, is the place of our hopes and dreams. Erishkegal, as Goddess of the Underworld, shows us our darkest fears. Athena, the Lady Justice, shows us how to balance between the two. She also shows us how other people see the situation. (In a relationship problem, She would represent the other person in the relationship).

The next three are Corn Mother, White Buffalo Woman and Spider Woman.
Corn Mother shows us what our goals are. White Buffalo Woman shows us a possible future, while Spider Woman shows us another possible future. Which one you actually end up with depends on your choice of actions. The Tarot is a road map showing the different paths to follow. It's up to you to decide which road to take.

The final card is the Great Goddess Herself and goes in the middle to tie everything together.
A lot of people found the Goddess spread reading a difficult one. It's basically a good spread--but I think it is much enhanced if you know something of the Goddesses you use. For example: both White Buffalo Woman and Grandmother Spider show alternate future paths. but what is the um, nature of those paths? To me, White Buffalo Woman walks the more spiritual, intuitive, mystical path--so those things color whatever card one receives there. Grandmother Spider, as the giver of writing, and the weaver of dreams, is more, um--intellectual. Not exactly--but hr path is more, um--left-brain. Both futures contain the potential for creativity--but if you know about these two Goddesses, you understand more about that potential--so you can zero in on what exactly the card is telling you. The Empress would be saying something slightly different in each position. Also, this spread requires considerable thought on the part of the reader, because it raises and addresses issues that go fairly deep. I can see why some found it a challenge.