11 Keys – An Advanced Love Tarot Spread

an advanced love tarot spread

This Advanced Love Tarot Spread is inspired by years of reading the 9-square intuitively, observing patterns and listening to the whispers of the cards themselves. In the past few months, I have felt a need to add two cards to the square when doing love Tarot readings… and then one day the penny dropped: each of the card positions corresponds to Major Arcana 1-11, with the Hierophant as the central card and Justice as the outcome. In other words – perfection in terms of looking at long-term potential with the Hierophant and Justice being two of the main marriage cards.

11 Keys - Advanced Tarot Spread for Love and Romance

Roughly then you get the following positional meanings

1. House of the Magician – Expression of masculine energy in the relationship. Point of initiation. The beginning. Ability to give love. Communication.
2. House of the High Priestess – Receptivity. Intuitive guidance. What your gut is telling you about the relationship. Ability to receive love.
3. House of the Empress – The quality of nurturing inherent or lacking in this relationship. The chaos element. Mother issues (his or hers).
4. House of the Emperor – Leadership ability. Organisation. Protection. Father issues (his or hers).
5. House of the Hierophant – Long-term potential is seen in this central card. How one or both feel about commitment.
6. House of the Lovers – How you connect at the level of the heart.
7. House of the Chariot – Potential power struggles.
8. House of Strength – Lust, sexual attraction and also your ability to ‘play’ together.
9. House of the Hermit – Need for (and ability to give) space/alone time
10. House of the Wheel of Fortune – The fated element. What the next turn of the Wheel is likely to bring. If one of the karmic cards is found here (Wheel, Moon, Justice, Judgement, Devil, Tower & The World), what happens next is predestined and cannot be avoided.
11. House of Justice – Most likely long-term outcome for the relationship. Read together with the card in the House of the Hierophant to see if marriage/settling down together is a likely outcome.

Each card becomes a key that unlocks the full meaning of the house in the context of the relationship you are reading on.

11 Keys – An Advanced Love Tarot Spread SAMPLE READING

11 Keys - An Advanced Tarot Spread for Love and Romance
The deck used for this sample reading is the Connolly Tarot

A few sample interpretations from this reading:

Temperance in the House of the Empress is a good sign that the relationship brings healing with regard to mother issues for one or both people in this relationship.

3 of Swords in the House of the Emperor indicates that one of the main challenges in this relationship is father issues, which seem to interfere and bring an element of emotional distance to these lovers. However, awareness of this can bring healing.

The Chariot in the House of the Hierophant together with the 9 of Cups in the House of Justice tells us that while they may not agree completely on commitment at this stage, the outcome will be a happy one.

The Queen of Pentacles is the significator of the Seeker for this reading and is found in the House of the Chariot. It could indicate a need to stop trying to control the flow of events.

As we have the Wheel of Fortune in the House of The Lovers, it is easy to see that these two feel expansive and optimistic in each other’s presence. There is a spirit of travel, adventure and good fortune in this relationship.

Other than reading the individual card interpretations together with the House positions, I do recommend reading the 9-Square intuitively as a tapestry. Combining both methods will give you layers and layers of information about this relationship.

love raven liora

Comments 61

  1. I just tried your spread for the first time. I really like the enerygy from it. But i did just recieve the justice card in the justice position. Im wondering your thoughts on this?

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  2. Hello Lisa,

    In position three or the Empress House we got The Lovers Card (Good in the Empress position?)
    In the House of Lovers we got The High Priestess (Does this mean we have a past Karmic Connection and we connect in the heart intuitively?)
    Also in the Hierophant Position we got 6 of Earth (I guess that’s coins) and in the Final position The Emperor. I had a hard time interpreting those two together for outcome. I know the 6 of Earth is an Abundance card and means prosperity, so generally positive and the Emperor from what I read online would be the male in the relationship (my boyfriend) who will be the leader in the relationship and he’s here to stay but he’ll decide when to move things forward. Is that correct?

    In the Strength position we got 8 of Air (Swords) which is unfavorable but we have awesome chemistry. He is struggling with alcohol and I feel the 8 of Air is indicating the blockage to a more fulfilling intimate/ playful life.
    Thank you!
    Michelle

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      Don’t second-guess your interpretations here – They feel spot on to me. The alcohol issue is probably why The Emperor is showing up as the outcome… because essentially when you are with someone who is addicted, you are co-depdendent. His addiction is calling the shots for the whole relationship until he frees himself. So yeah, in that sense it’s all up to him. Tricky one and I wish you all the best!

  3. hey lisa hope u doing good ..i have a query what if person have :
    house of hierophant: moon
    house of lovers : 9 of swords
    house of wheel : 6 of cups. house of justice: king of pentacles. And reading do have tower also it got me confused that it seems to be a soulmate relationship still it looks like they are not getting well with it

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      Not all soul mate experiences are pleasant experiences. I will need your own interpretation of these cards/combos before I can comment further. Cheers

      1. thanks for replying you are always a savior.. will try to explain in one liners

        1.house of magician: 8 of swords: both are holding back intentionally , lack of trust and broken links bw communication and trust.

        2. house of high priestess:8 of cups : they are not letting higher powers and intuition guide them both need to grow spiritually and consciously before jumping into this relationship.

        3.house of empress:6 of swords : both are growing intellectually and have stimulating intellect in the name of creativity that let thing going.

        4.house of emperor: 6 of wands: power issues

        5.house of hierophant : moon : commitment phobics , relationship have some serious hidden issues may be infidelity ..( karmic card )

        6.house of lovers: 9 of swords: one or both of them are severely affected by negative thoughts lack of trust .

        7.house of chariot: 7 of pentacles: leaving things on time and destiny as they are not fully prepared to move one step forward.

        8. house of strength: 9 of pentacles : loners and free spirited both want their respective freedom , physicality with no strings attached.

        9.house of hermit : tower : karmic indicator ) ????

        10. house of wheel : 6 of cups: soulmate indicator the meeting is pre-destined.

        11. house of justice: king of pentacles: he is a keeper but will take time before commitment the relationship will have more practical outcome as comparatively to love and emotional.

        2 karmic cards : tower and moon
        soulmate indicator: six of cups
        multiples
        2×9’s= need of alone time
        2×8’s= news
        3×6’s= great pleasure

        1. hey lisa im still waiting for ur reply … actually bit curious about how did i read them , still on learning stages so may the reading is bit rigid ..

  4. hey lisa hope u doing good ..i have a query what if person have :
    house of hierophant: moon
    house of lovers : 9 of swords
    house of wheel : 6 of cups

  5. Oh that’s interesting, thank you so much, Lisa. 🙂 I’ll sit with the spread some more and see if I can figure it out better… The Fool stands out a bit in that position I believe, seeing how the rest of the cards are more traditional almost towards being a little boring, with no wands, and seeing both The Hierophant (tradition) and 6 of Cups (innocence) in there… 🙂

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      The six of cups is the soul mate card and nothing could be boring with the three of cups in the house of the hierophant… If anything, it could be a bit too exciting, with a third party thrown into the mix.

  6. What an interesting spread! What would you say about The Fool in the House of Justice? (In the House of the Hierophant there’s 3 of Cups). Om confused between either the couple will split up and start anew or it’s a new beginning for them together? The rest of the cards are all very positive with The Sun as card 1, Hierophant as card 3, 3 of Coins as card 4, 6 of Cups as card 8, among others… No “negative” cards, though no Wands showed up so maybe a lack of passion. I’d love your thoughts. <3 Love, Ania

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      Hi Ania, what was the card for the House of the Hierophant? Hard to tell without knowing that. Another possible meaning for the Fool in the House of Justice is ‘unconventional’…

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  7. Hello Lisa, I did this spread about someone I met recently with whom sparks flew – I found out since that we have been in past lives together as lovers/ spouses. I drew four major arcana cards in this spread. I got ‘The Lovers’ in the Magician house, the Chariot in the House of Hermit, Temperance in the House of Wheel of Fortune, and The Wheel in the House of Justice. Also, 3 of Cups in the Hierophant House, 7 of Cups in House of Lovers, 8 of Pentacles in House of Strength. Would much appreciate your insights about these cards please, many thanks! And Merry Christmas 🙂

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      Merry Christmas, Belle, It looks you took on a spread that is a bit too advanced since you got stuck on so many of them… With the 3 of Cups and the 7 of Cups in those positions, I would dig for more information. An ex or rival could be lurking… He’s probably not sure about what he wants.

      1. It is indeed an advanced spread for me, tried it as I came across it, with no prior experience. Thanks for the insights. I will pay heed..

      2. May I ask you pls. if the Wheel of Fortune in the Justice position is a good sign in this case (if he is currently unsure what he wants)?

  8. Thanks for the spread! I got death in the hierophant position but judgement in the wheel position and King of pentacles in the 11th. If judgement is something that’s predestined what does that mean with the death card?

    1. I might see it as a fated and permanent change in the relationship. A break up and reconciliation knowing that things cannot be the way they were before?

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        Yes, that is one possible interpretation although hard to say without seeing all the cards. Try looking at the spread as a whole… (pretending you’re reading for someone else)… What do you see at a glance when you try to get a quick overview?

        1. the magician- 10 of cups. Began thinking too seriously too soon but recognizing the potential to make it work for the long haul.
          High priestess- the hanged man. Trying to get their perspective, be understanding.
          Empress- 5 of wands. I kind of see it as a battle of the wills.
          Emperor- 4 of pentacles. Being slow to express emotions but balanced and stable.
          Heirophant- Death- something needs to or has permanently changed.
          Lovers- Queen of Cups- genuine love, kindness.
          Chariot- Three of cups- struggles to maintain the romance, get along great but need to remember romance.
          Strength- the moon. A deep, emotional connection. Very intimate.
          Hermit- the Wheel.
          Wheel- judgement- rebirth, waking up something that was thought to be dead.
          Justice- King of pentacles. Slow development but stable long term potential.

  9. Hey Lisa, thank you for sharing this lovely spread. I did a reading with a guy I know and got the emperor in the hierophant position and the strength card in the justice position.

    I am a novice reader and am quite confused about what the combination means. Will u be able to guide me.

    Thank u 🙂

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      Hi Ash. Tell me what you’ve got so far, please. What do you think it means? This is probably the most advanced spread I have ever created so probably a bit more to bite off than you can chew of you’re a novice but you should try to interpret the cards yourself first at least – it’s the only way to learn! Blessed be!

      1. Thank you for your reply.

        So i got the Ace of cups in the Magician position, and the tower card in High Priestess – Which comes to me some sort of emotion is possible but only if there is a great change and a sacrifice or a letting go of something. In the Chariot position I have the wheel of fortune. Hence with the tower card i would say an inevitable change is coming to our lives.

        In lovers – i have the three of wands and the chariot in Strength, so I think we will accept the change and be forced to charge ahead.

        Coming back to my confusion, I have been thinking over it, and I feel the Emperor at the Hierophant’s position paired with the Strength card at the Justice position may signify that based of the change that is inevitable we may work out as a couple if we learn to balance our controlling nature and tame our wild side. However without it, it may be a battle of wills. But I am not sure because it could also be that we have come to each others life to even out our dark side whilst nuture and taming ourselves to a more domestic scene.

        Am I being partial and looking at it too positively? What do you think?

        I am sorry to take your time once again.

        Thank you Lisa for sharing your thoughts and insights.

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          Hi again Ash, Your own interpretation is completely valid. I will add my two cents though since you asked. I believe the Emperor in the House of the Hierophant could indicate a ‘my way or the highway’ struggle that can occur in some relationships and with the Emperor it’s HIS way… There is passion (Leo/Strength) but a lack of diplomacy (Libra/11th House). Blessed be!

  10. Ok so I got the emperor in the house of hierophant and reversed seven cups in wheel of fortune house & reversed king of pentacles in the house of justice. My husband & I are currently separated because he says he “wants to buy property and invite me in” bc he never felt like the man in our marriage and we always had $ issues which he blamed on me. Any insight would be much appreciated!

    1. Four Aces? Wow, time for new beginnings – most likely without this person. 4 of Pentacles is not exactly a card to inspire devotion and commitment. Seems more like a cord cutting situation (Ace of Swords).

  11. Hi! I’ve been getting familiar with this spread and am excited to look into more of yours! In regards to this spread, I am curious what the World card in the house of Justice and Knight of Pentacles in house of hierophant would suggest?

    1. One possible interpretation is that this is a situation where you’re in it for the long haul because you have karma to resolve. But it does depend on how you read the Knight of Pentacles here and if he resonates as significator for either of you or not. Knight of Pentacles is usually a Taurean type person.

  12. I know you posted this awhile ago, but I did this spread and it brought me to tears. The Magician had the Hierophant, The Emperor was 6 of cups, The Hierophant was the 2 of Cups, The Lovers the Ace of Cups, The Chariot the World, The Hermit the Star, the Wheel the 8 of Wands, and Justice the Ace of Pentacles. I’ve had dreams that I would marry this person, but I never wanted to get married again. This reading reflects our Synastry and Composite chart. The composite has a packed 5th house with sun and venus. The moon in the fourth. I can finally just trust that this how things are supposed to be.

    Thank you for sharing your gift and wonderful spreads.

  13. Lovely spread, thanks for sharing it! I got the Empress in House of Hierophant and the Moon in House of Justice. How do these two cards relate to each other? The only connection I can think of, is the astrological Cancer (my own sun sign) since it rules motherhood (Empress) and is ruled by the moon.

    Also, I wondered what would happen if a major card turned up in the house it was signified by. And I got a Chariot in the house of Chariot! Any thoughts on this?

    1. Hi, thanks. It’s a rather unstructured and and chaotic relationship in some ways, with lots of hidden stuff going on under the surface. There may be a need for clarity in order to move forward and for both people to know where they stand. Feminine energy rules – for definite. And yes, of course the Chariot energy will be stronger still with the Chariot in its own house. That’s the Cancerian energies — more Watery, feminine influences and a tendency to passive-aggressively sidestep issues 😛 Sounds like I hate Cancerians – I don’t lol Just taking all the other feminine energies into account. On the plus side you find your intuition flowing and the emotional connection being strong. Blessings

  14. Thanks ms Lisa for the information on my next relationship I do appreciate the help and information May God bless u Thanks. Glenda

  15. Hi Lisa
    I have page of cups in the House of Hierophant and Ten of Wands in Justice, is this relationship going to be a struggle?
    Thanks love your spreads

  16. HI Lisa,
    What does a 7 of clubs in the House of the Hierophant and the 7 of diamonds in the house of justice mean? The 6th card was a queen of diamonds which seemed positive. Any ideas?

    1. You’re not on the same page about where this is heading long term. Feels a bit like someone has their walls firmly up and it will take time and patience for them to come down. Queen of Diamonds Pentacles could indicate another love interest so I would necessarily see it as positive.

  17. A wonderfully in depth spread, thank you! I’d love to know a bit more about the Karmic cards as well, looking forward to your article about them.. I drew the Queen of Pentacles in the House of the Wheel of Fortune, and The World in the House of Justice.

    1. Thanks Epitome! Depending on the other cards in the spread and whether or not you are The Queen of Pentacles or not, it could indicate interference by a third person.The World as the outcome could mean one of several things, depending on the other cards too. If it is long distance, for instance, it could stay that way. It could also indicate ‘lesson learned – time to move on.’

  18. I’d like to know more about the Karmic cards. How does the pre-destined element of these cards in the 10th House work with free will? Also, what do each of these cards represent in terms of Karma? It’s a really great spread, but I think I”m going to have to take my time before trying it out. 🙂

    1. I’m not sure what you mean by 10th House of Free Will…? We’re talking about either of the karmic cards showing up in the House of the Wheel of Fortune. As you may be aware, the Wheel of Fortune can mean fated events and turning of the Wheel of Life that is beyond our control… All we can do is center ourselves in the hub, as it were. As for the karmic cards, I have written about some of them from a Past Life point of view in the past but I think I should probably cover them all in a separate article. How good is your grasp of basic card meanings?

      1. I meant how does free will come into play with the cards that fall in the 10th House of the Wheel of Fortune. I’ve got a pretty good grasp of the card meanings but not always what they represent in different contexts beyond past, present and future positions.

        1. Oh, I see. The House of the Wheel tells you how predestined (or not) the next step on the relationship journey is and/or what is most likely to happen next (depending on the card that falls in that house). Sometimes we just have to roll with it – this is especially true with The World (Saturn), Father Time/The Lord of Karma himself, in this position.

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