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 | ||
 |
3to1 |  |
Overall |  |
2to1 |  |
| 1+3 |  |
1to3 |  |
1to2 |  |
1+2 |
 |
 |
P#1 |  |
 |
||
 |
1: Person #1
The sprouting seed refers to actual growth. The heart leads two ends together into a point. The house offers an outward protection for a partnership for life.
The child (small hand) shows itself as being an actual product of its parents' love. The snake suggests that the child will carry this cycle on, one day, as a parent.
2: Person #2
Three cups are spilling their contents. The other two are collecting what is lost, suggesting that nothing can really be lost. Nevertheless, the spill is important so that a change can take place.
The tower and the star refer to the cards, which are following the devil, which is related to the five cups. The flames in the tower can be understood as a heart. If the observer turns round, he will take the path in the right direction and will not look back.
3: Person #3
Water is formed from a cloud, due to condensation, and is dripping into a cup. Through this the relationship between water and its opposite energy air is portrayed. If we look carefully all the four elements are present here: water=Water, cup= Earth, cloud= Air and the liberated energy = Fire.
4: Person #1's view of #2
The strong helmet protects the prince, while, with eyes closed and head bent forward, he is demolishing the hard wall. Some bricks are falling down. A part of the wall looks like a bookcase.
This is all about ancient knowledge and opinions, the details of which are being asked about or, in the truest sense of the word, which are being blown into mid-air. However, with his eyes closed the prince cannot take into consideration what he is throwing around.
5: Person #2's view of #3
The queen has made her and her family home very comfortable. Everything has been arranged beautifully, there are flowers on the table, delicious food is prepared, and as well as this she is carrying a new-born baby in her arms. You would think she would need four hands to accomplish it all.
She looks rather discontented and the red colour in the picture suggests a banked-down fire. The four precious stones on the crown refer to the element earth.
6: Person #3's view of #1
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.
7: Person #2's view of #1
The path through the underworld can be seen which eventually leads into light. The path is edged with lilies, the underworld flowers. The abstract archangel Michael is helping to find the right composition for the flow of energy, in other words is on the way through the subconscious (forgotten) to keep a minimal contact going with the conscious e.g., by transmission (documents...)
8: Person #3's view of #2
The picture shows the connection with the opposite theme represented by two circles (blue = conscious) which combine to form an oval. The oval represents striving for unity on a higher level. The two hands stand for polarity and the confrontation with the tree of eternity and the tree of knowledge (of good and evil) with heart-shaped fruit. The serpent is coiled up at the foot of the tree of knowledge.
The yellow background emphasises the energy of the moment. Fish and water show the duality again and the produced flow of energy. The archangel Raphael watches over everyone with his blessing, indicated by God's eye.
9: Person #1's view of #3
The wall confines the fire and bundles it up. Its violet colour shows that it has been built consciously and with spiritual energy, intent on higher ideals.
The triangle on the square shows the ideal integration of divinity and mortality. The fish in the fiery water indicates fiery emotionality as the basis for materialism. The symbol of the wand is recognised by the nine-fold loop on the back of the card.
10: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #2
The rich man is reaching over the wall and giving away the surplus of his material goods. The poor man is giving something back; it is unclear how. There is a candle on the side of the rich man, which was concealed on the Five of Pentacles. An unbroken circle of energy emerges.
11: Overall relationship between persons #2 and #3
The sketch quotes the picture from the Raider-Waite deck. Eight wands are flying through the air.
12: Overall relationship between persons #1 and #3
The orangey-yellow colour of the picture symbolises fire; the green colour portrays fertility and growth. The sunflowers also testify a connection between energy and growth.
The throne gives the impression of a sun-queen; the creases on her skirt point to sexual energy, her red hair is tied back. The black cat, with its back to us, stands for independence and magic powers. There is a precious stone on the queen's crown, this connects her to the magician's figure one.
13: Overall 3-way Relationship
The picture shows an attestation as a symbol of real development and change, framed by symbols of different areas of life: a fish, sausages, a hammer and compass for handicrafts, a lute, a palette and brushes for art, a book for knowledge, appreciation and education, the two hands for social understanding.
