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 |
 |
 |
P#1 |  |
 |
||
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1: Person #1
The left hand points to the new path towards intuition and the subconscious. The colours correspond with those of the Cups. The right hand tends to turn towards the swords. This area is dominated by the colour blue. The question is how many swords should be taken on the journey.
2: Person #2
The picture shows coloured energy as well as a certain pallor. The brown colour suggests to us, stuck in the earth, that the right wand could help us.
The hand appears to be hesitant, the waning moon points to fear, the flag of parliament indicates false compromises. The waves in the middle show the situation's emotions.
3: Person #3
The sun can be seen clearly and it dominates the picture. The last walls are being conquered and in between them flowers are already growing. This lets us suspect that the difficult path is at an end. The path, which continues, can already be seen beyond the wall.
4: Person #1's view of #2
The pentahedral star in the picture shows how the four elements, which appear in the four lower rays, come into contact with spiritualism. This is represented in the uppermost point by God's eye, in the iris of which the Wheel of Fortune is alluded to. The violet background underlines the principle of spiritualism.
The labyrinth in the middle of the star points to the search for the meaning, which by way of the heart is also a search for the centre. The two hands at the top represent the obvious (exoteric) and the concealed (esoteric). The praying hands at the bottom symbolise the pupil.
5: Person #2's view of #3
The eye is the same as that on the Magician's card, but the wish to develop is not portrayed any more. The oval wreath suggests the unification of polarities, as with the Lovers, but here the unification actually takes place.
The symbols for the four elements are collected around the oval and are reconcilably united together. The blue colour of the background symbolises consciousness and clarity.
6: Person #3's view of #1
The chariot itself is portrayed by the wheel. It has eight spokes, a symbol for the process of development. The shaft symbolises the centre and also the number nine, which completes the cycle. Hub and shaft are on fire and stand for sexual energy. Origin, the wheel's background, and destination, the celestial body's background, are the same colour, violet, which stands for the spiritual.
The dominating yellow in the picture depicts joy of living. The water at the bottom indicates frankness or naivety, but also emotions to be conquered, such as caution or fear. Black and white reins, held in the right and left hand, show different directions and ambivalences, which have to be brought into harmony to make the journey possible. The next part of the journey, which lies ahead of the coach driver, the material world, represented by green, square fields, opens up within all this.
Libra's symbol (justice) shows that one has to reckon with consequences for any mistakes. The section at the top leads into the night. The coach driver does not encounter the sun, as to be expected, but instead the moon and stars. He will meet intuition and the unconscious.
7: Person #2's view of #1
The beam of a building or some construction shows a definite crack and looks as if it will soon break; therefore, there is need for action. Five different coloured hands are trying to mend it by supporting the beam with stakes. But they are lacking in coordination and a united aim. One has the impression that the stakes could form an upside-down five-pointed star.
8: Person #3's view of #2
In front of the rising sun the first posts are being erected for the building of a new house. The hand has taken a firm hold of the wand; part of the wall has already been erected.
The wall symbolises the appearance of our conceptions. The mountains in the background show the definite ideas and conceptions that will materialise in the future.
9: Person #1's view of #3
The swords look like teeth, which at any moment could bite. The hands are held up for protection. The eye wants to open, but its vision is obstructed.
The waning moon emphasises the existing fear. The sunrise is at hand. Roses promise development, joy of life and the coming forth of emotions in the near future.
10: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #2
Six trees have been felled in a forest, which couldn't be entered and be used, because the trees were growing in all directions. They are lying to the left-hand side of the path, which is now free to let in light, causing new leaves to sprout.
The wood from the forest has been used to melt down the iron for an axe, to turn a style and therefore to create a significant relationship between growth and order.
11: Overall relationship between persons #2 and #3
The colours portray richness of energy as well as naturalness and balance. The trees are young, which shows the garden has just been laid out. The small fir tree, put up for the topping-out ceremony, is still standing on the roof of the house.
The garden-gate is open and the hand is making an inviting gesture. The wall, however, gives a certain amount of protection and the door can also be closed.
The number four, noticeable in the clouds, in the number of trees and the style of the building stones, emphasise materialism. The mountains in the background indicate that this is most probably not the last project of its sort.
12: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #3
The content of the nine cups is being poured over the picture and meets in a whirlpool in the middle. Three colours refer to the number three, out of which the number nine (3x3) exists. Notes (music/art), grapes (food/drink) and a heart (love/friendship) stand for areas which contain pleasure and well-being.
The colour red points to warmth, blue symbolises refreshment. The colour green can be understood as referring to a negative aspect on the card e.g., exaggerated personal pleasure.
13: Overall 3-way Relationship
Seven pentacles are lying on a heap of leaves which is being swept up. They look like unusable fruit. Two tears show that the sweeper is grieving over his lost harvest. The star in the background suggests that the loss is small in comparison with the high goal which is being aimed at.
