A love c(heart) tarot reading

Do you remember when you were a child, being given an art project to draw a map of your heart? Nothing technical, no labelling of valves and ventricles, but an exercise to think about what you loved the most. I remember my peers mostly drawing their pets, although chocolate was probably the most common. From ice cream and crisps to grandparents and friends to favourite films or books, it’s hard to think of a more wholesome activity.

As adults, we tend to lose our connection to all the different types of love in our lives, society tells us to stop valuing them so much and to only prioritise one sort of love, romantic love.

Alongside questions about careers and making decisions, love and relationship questions are the most common queries you get as a tarot reader. I want to take those questions and bring them back to the more holistic view we had as children.

Ancient Greek philosophers are often credited with the idea that there are six (or seven, or eight, depending on your source) different types of love. Psychologists and philosophers ever since have been trying to come up with the best names or cute diagrams to explain them all (see the “Colour Wheel of Love” below).

Taking inspiration from these various sources, as well as my own personal beliefs, I’ve designed the spread below. Due to the heavy reliance of research into preexisting theories about the philosophy of love, I’m not claiming this as an original concept, there may even already be similar tarot spreads out there, but this is where I’ve landed in my quest for a more satisfying and holistic love reading.

You could absolutely use this spread for a classic romantic relationship/love reading, to see how these elements appear in that relationship, but my primary aim is to use it as a birds-eye view of all the love in your life.

The Tarot Spread

The cornerstones of this spread are the places we have love in our lives (self, friends, family, community) and the cards in-between are the ways the love feels or manifests (playful, enduring, shadow and romantic), in the centre is a space for either your significator card if you have one or for another tarot or oracle card to represent you (in the example reading below I’ve pulled an additional oracle card).

• Love of Self: compassion for ourselves and dedication to our own happiness, prioritising and meeting our own needs
• Love of Friends: between equals and comrades, those with whom we share a mental connection and interests or struggles.
• Love of Family: (blood or chosen) between those with whom we have shared experiences and loyalty, based on support, security and safety, kinship.
• Love of Community: neighbourly and empathetic, selfless, boundless and freely given, unconditional love for fellow humans.

• Playful Love: fun, casual, affectionate, teasing.
• Enduring Love: respectful, tolerant, patient, committed, active.
• Romantic Love: physical, appreciative, built on desire, passion, beauty.
• Shadow Love: controlling, jealous, looking to others for completion, etc.

If you’re interested in this kind of reading, you can book here