The Love Triangle Spread
Difficulty: Complicated
Casually referred to as the Love Triangle, this spread can be used to determine the dynamics of the relationship between three people, regardless of whether romance is involved. This spread is arranged in the form of a hexagram, consisting of several large and small triangles. This tarot spread may seem somewhat complicated, but it is not entirely that difficult.
The first step is to interpret the card for each individual position in the spread. Generally, one might ask about a relationship they are involved in, but this does not have to be the case. Ordinarily, the reader's representative card is #1, their main person of interest is #2, and the other person would be #3.
The second step fills in the downward triangle and involves further examination of the individuals through their views of the other people. Each person has two more cards showing the way they see and relate to the other members of the triangle. For example, Card #6 indicates how Person #3 relates to Person #1, while Card #9 stands for Person #1's attitude toward Person #3.
The next step completes the upward triangle and the hexagram, focusing on cards #10–13. It also completes the many smaller triangles and hints at the potential for each relationship. The final card, #13 can be considered the significator of the reading, which suggests the overall potential for this three-way relationship.
Your Love Triangle Reading
| P#3 | 3to2 | 2+3 |
2to3 | P#2 | ||
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3to1 |  |
Overall |  |
2to1 |  |
| 1+3 |  |
1to3 |  |
1to2 |  |
1+2 |
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P#1 |  |
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1: Person #1
Futility (Moon in Aquarius): The Seven of Spades carries the haunting echo of battles fought in vain. Under the enigmatic Moon in Aquarius, it reveals the sense of exhaustion that arises when energy is expended on endeavours destined to yield only partial or delayed victories. This card serves as a reminder to assess whether continued struggle is worth the cost, or if redirecting your efforts might lead to a more meaningful, albeit different, path to success.
2: Person #2
Love (Venus in Cancer): Embodying the tender union of opposites, the Two of Hearts radiates a harmonious blend of passion and nurturing care. It signifies a balanced partnership where intuitive understanding and mutual warmth create a sanctuary of love and comfort. This card speaks to the deep connection between souls—a call to honour intimacy, trust, and the transformative power of emotional unity.
Love, union, friendship, warmth, comfort, passion, affinity, intercourse.
3: Person #3
Oppression (Saturn in Sagittarius): The Ten of Clubs serves as a stark warning about the misuse of raw power. Under the heavy hand of Saturn in Sagittarius, this card represents energy turned destructive—brute force that suppresses growth and stifles creativity. It cautions against the potential for self-imposed or external repression, where ambition may devolve into cruelty or malice if not guided by wisdom and compassion. It urges you to seek balance and channel your fiery energy constructively, lest it become an instrument of oppression.
Lies, repression, cruelty, malice. The element of fire in its most destructive form.
4: Person #1's view of #2
Disappointment (Mars in Scorpio): Turbulent waters mark the Five of Hearts—a card that speaks to the pain of unfulfilled expectations and the sting of betrayal. Its energy, charged by Mars in Scorpio, often manifests as intense grief, regret, or the aftermath of a broken bond. It serves as a sombre reminder that emotional setbacks are part of the transformative process, urging you to confront and heal your wounds so new growth may eventually emerge.
Grief, misfortune, sadness, regret, loss, treachery, bitterness, frustration, bad marriage, expectations unfulfilled.
5: Person #2's view of #3
Strength (Moon in Sagittarius): Quiet yet undeniable, the Nine of Clubs speaks of deep-seated resilience and the lasting power of inner strength. Influenced by the reflective Moon in Sagittarius, it underscores the importance of healing, recovery, and the persistence required to rise after setbacks. This card invites you to draw on the strength that comes from within—trust that your capacity for renewal will enable you to transform adversity into a source of power and stability.
Great strength, tremendous force, recovery, health, power, triumph. Change is stability.
6: Person #3's view of #1
Indolence (Saturn in Pisces): Here, the Eight of Hearts reflects a state of emotional stagnation—a weariness that comes from either a deliberate renunciation of worldly pursuits or a surrender to melancholic inertia. Under Saturn's disciplined influence in Pisces, it signals a pause, a moment of introspection where success is abandoned or delayed. This card prompts you to assess whether you're disengaging from life out of necessary spiritual recalibration or simply succumbing to apathy, urging you to find the courage to reawaken your heart's ambitions.
Success abandoned, apathy, misery, transience, instability, a small victory. Sometimes means abandonment of materialistic pursuits in favour of the spiritual.
7: Person #2's view of #1
Strife (Saturn in Leo): The Five of Clubs confronts you with the inevitable friction that accompanies any great endeavour. Under the stern influence of Saturn in Leo, this card signals conflicts—be they internal struggles, competitive battles, or clashes of will—that test your resolve. It serves as a reminder that growth often comes through adversity. It challenges you to confront your obstacles with discipline and fortitude, transforming strife into a catalyst for personal evolution.
Struggle, competition, opposition, violence, quarrelling, lust and carnal desire.
8: Person #3's view of #2
Cruelty (Mars in Gemini): The Nine of Spades confronts you with a raw depiction of suffering and malice. Infused with the aggressive energy of Mars in Gemini, it reveals the darker facets of human interaction—lies, despair, and the infliction of pain borne from both external conflict and inner turmoil. This card acts as a stark reminder of the perils of untempered aggression and the importance of compassion, encouraging you to transform harshness into healing when faced with cruelty.
Suffering, pain, malice, loss, lies, despair, slander.
9: Person #1's view of #3
Defeat (Venus in Aquarius): The Five of Spades embodies the sting of loss and the undercurrents of malice that can fracture resolve. With Venus in Aquarius tinting its energy, this card reflects moments of weakness and spite—times when external pressures and internal conflicts sap your strength. It cautions that defeat might be a necessary, though painful, lesson, urging you to recognise vulnerability as a stepping stone towards reclaiming dignity and reasserting your personal integrity.
Weakness, loss, spite, malice, trouble, dishonour, anxiety. A driver of wedges.
10: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #2
Abundance (Mercury in Cancer): Overflowing with the energy of creative fertility, the Three of Hearts celebrates the fullness of life. It speaks of bountiful emotional riches, the nurturing of relationships, and the joy found in shared kindness and hospitality. This card encourages you to embrace generosity and allow your heart to be a wellspring of inspiration, fostering growth and fulfilment in both personal and communal realms.
Fulfilment, conclusion, plenty, fertility, hospitality, kindness, creation.
11: Overall relationship between persons #2 and #3
Debauch (Venus in Scorpio): The Seven of Hearts warns of the dangers of unbridled passion when it tips into excess. With Venus in Scorpio intensifying its energy, this card highlights a descent into moral ambiguity—where the allure of indulgence may lead to deception and loss of integrity. It calls for reflection on your desires, encouraging you to cultivate a balance between passion and ethical grounding, lest you become entangled in fleeting, self-destructive pursuits.
Deception, shameless indulgence, lust, fornication, intoxication, delusion, promises unfulfilled.
12: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #3
Dominion (Mars in Aries): Exuding the assertive power of Mars in Aries, the Two of Clubs represents the clash and union of dynamic forces. It is a call to claim your domain with courage and decisiveness. This card speaks of emerging strength through bold action. It challenges you to balance assertiveness with strategic influence, reminding you that dominion arises when fierce determination is tempered with self-mastery and purpose.
Influence, courage, boldness, fierceness.
13: Overall 3-way Relationship
The Root of Water: This card emerges as the fountainhead of emotion—a pristine, unfiltered source of joy, love, and creative potential. It heralds a new beginning in the realm of feelings, inviting you to immerse yourself in unconditional love and beauty. The Ace of Hearts is a reminder to nourish your inner self and allow pure, healing energy to flow into every aspect of life.
Joy, contentment, love, fruitfulness, beauty.
