Bryanny's Simple Yes/No 5-Card Spread
There are various techniques for reading a simple yes/no response from the Tarot, but I must admit I find many of them limiting - single card flips, assessing a yes/no based on upright or reversed is clean and clear, but it doesn't give any detail as to the reasoning behind why that's the response from the cards...a 'best of three' approach is an alternative, again reading uprights/reversed with the highest value providing the yes/no response, but again, i found that to be limited in the information that i could get from the cards...
Enter a simple 5-card yes/no spread, that overlays a yes/no question over a 5-card spread, providing sufficient detail to answer the whys and wherefores, without detracting from the need for a clear and concise response. This spread was developed over time by my friend Bryanny, who, alas, i haven't spoken to in a donkeys age, but this spread is something of her legacy to me, and is a real crowd-pleaser, especially with querents who want a clear response, but also want some detail so that they have an understanding of the situation to boot! It's something that I'll always be grateful to her for sharing with me, because at that point in my tarot journey, I'd never considered assigning a points value to cards, or 'counting cards' in this way, and it really developed my thinking on how spreads could be crafted into something novel and engaging!
Cards 1 and 2 represent the past.
Card 3 represents the present.
Cards 4 and 5 represent the future.
Cards 1, 2, 4 and 5 are worth 1 point each.
Card 3 is worth 2 points.
Cards in the upright position contribute to the "yes's", and cards in the reversed position contribute to the "No's". Total the points for all cards to give a yes/no answer, then read the cards as normal, to determine the reasons why.
I like to 'grade' the value of the yes/no response, based on how definitive the cards are. If the cards total up to 6/0 for yes/no, then it's a resounding yes, and the cards can be read in a way that will support and guide that to a positive yes situation (assuming that the 'yes' response was the desired outcome!).
I like to 'grade' the value of the yes/no response, based on how definitive the cards are. If the cards total up to 6/0 for yes/no, then it's a resounding yes, and the cards can be read in a way that will support and guide that to a positive yes situation (assuming that the 'yes' response was the desired outcome!).
If the cards are 5/1 or 4/2, then it's still a yes, but it's a cautionary yes, and the reversals should be read as guidance on how those 'no' elements might influence the situation, or impact that overall yes, perhaps indicating a partial success or a need for more effort or direction, to guide the situation safely to the desired 'yes' result.
Conversely, a 0/6 for yes/no, gives a resounding no, and the cards can be read in a way that will support and guide the querent to accept or mitigate the situation (assuming that the 'no' response wasn't the desired one!), and perhaps provide alternatives or avenues that might otherwise lead to success elsewhere.
If the cards give a 1/5 or a 2/4, then it's still a no, but again, it's a no, but with provisos, and the uprights might give suggestion as to where leverage can be applied to nudge the situation, snatching success from the jaws of defeat, or where hope still springs in the situation, allowing some measure of grace in the face of an unwanted response.
Now, those of you quick on the tally will have seen that there are 5 cards, but 6 points to calculate, meaning that there could well be a 3/3 split from the cards. In those situations, I lean towards the guidance from the central 3 card in the spread, as it represents the present, and that's where most of the leverage and input can be fed into the situation toward the desired result. So if it's a 3/3 split, but the central card is upright, I'd read that as a situation that is either hanging in the balance or still in a state of flux, but that with considerable effort in the present, the situation could be potentially swayed to a yes outcome. If the central card is reversed, then again, the situation is balanced, but is more likely to tip toward a no outcome, unless immediate and considerable headway is made to swing the decision toward the 'yes' outcome.
If you've used yes/no draws before, but haven't drawn a generous 5 cards to determine the answer, give this simple yes/no spread a try and see if it's one that works for you, providing that balance of clarity and concise information! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you find it!
