Dreams, whether bizarre or mundane, often represent things that our subconscious minds our trying to tell us. Like the tarot, they work in a symbolic fashion; where the message is coded in the form of images, visions, sounds and emotions. This is why some of the time, it’s often so difficult for us to interpret them. Their meanings are often not completely obvious, and the visions we get can be fantastical in nature. One thing is certain though; most of the time, the symbols or situations encountered in our dreams will relate to certain aspects of our waking, everyday lives.

Dream Interpretation with Tarot Spreads

In some cases, we can have very vivid dreams that feel incredibly important and meaningful…and yet we don’t understand what about them is important. It is this uncertainty that tarot cards can help with; certain tarot spreads can be incredibly helpful for gaining additional insight and acquiring different perspectives that are not immediately obvious. Our waking lives are often intertwined with the dream world; don’t be surprised to find these spreads revealing hidden worries or preoccupations that you may have not addressed consciously. Depending which cards turn up in your readings and which positions they are found in, you can discover the messages that your subconscious mind is trying to tell you.

Using Tarot Spreads to Uncover Dream Meanings

There are many different tarot card spreads that can be used for interpreting dreams, but I’m showing two that work particularly well for me. We will explain a bit about these two tarot spreads and how to use them to uncover the hidden meanings behind your dreams.

Dream Messages - A 5 Card Tarot Spread for Dream Interpretation

This 5 card tarot spread is one of the most effective spreads for getting as much insight as possible into your dreams while still keeping the number of cards at a reasonable number. There are other spreads that use fewer cards or more cards, but a five card spread is a good middle ground, especially if you’re a tarot beginner. This spread will focus on what is at the core of your dreams, and the message that it is trying to convey to you.

The 5 card tarot spread is as follows:

1. Past Event - What is the background or context for this dream? What recently happened that made this dream come up?
2. Dream Theme - What is this dream focusing on? Is it a warning? Is it encouragement?
3. Waking Life Block - What prevents you from addressing the dream’s message in your waking life?
4. Message - What is the dream trying to tell you? What advice is being offered?
5. Lesson - What can you learn from this dream? What can you do better? What can you do to address the dream in waking life?

Dream Messages Tarot Spread Diagram

Dream Mirror - A 7 Card Tarot Spread For Dream Interpretation

As we mentioned before, the dream world and the waking world are closely related, and this spread focuses on this relationship. The cards here are meant to compare and contrast those worlds to help you understand them both a bit better. The seven card spread is largely similar to the five card spread, but can offer a little more complexity in regards to understanding your dream and using the message of your dream to help yourself grow.

The details of the dream mirror tarot spread are as below:

1. Waking Life Environment - What are the conditions in your waking life right now? In other words, what events are happening around you?
2. Dream World Environment - What were the conditions occurring in the dream? What was happening in the dream?
3. Waking Life Emotions - What are the prominent feelings in your waking life?
4. Dream World Emotions - What were the most prominent feelings in your dream? How did the dream make you feel?
5. Foundations - What was it that caused the dream?
6. Lesson - What were you meant to take away from the dream? What actions can you take on the message in the dream?
7. Waking Life Block - What prevents you from addressing the dream’s message in your waking life?

Dream Mirror Tarot Spread Diagram