I have volunteers that will let me read for them but when i discuss different areas i could do a reading on I'm faced with i don't know anything from my volunteers   can anyone recommend a spread that is not problem solving but a general reading in all areas that i can use to determine the accuracy of my readings please

I was taught one spread that you could use for opening a reading with a person. It is a 7-card spread.
They are all in one line, from left to right

card1-card2-card3- -----card4 ------card5-card6-card7

The first three are the person's past (long term and short term)
The one at the center represents the querent now (state of mind, situation)
the 3 others are the querent's direction/future

This can help you see where the querent is at the moment, and where they come from, and where they plan on heading. Also it usually reveals the person's state of mind pretty well.

Make sure the querent picks their own cards in the order in which you will place them.

Let me know how it goes.

Cheers

Thanks farafina this would give a more detailed past present and future I was really looking for something that would give general insight into all areas of querents life to use as an ice breaker to put querent at ease and trust the Tarot to be insightful in all areas then if they feel comfortable and wish more detail in one or more areas they can chose to have more detailed spreads of those areas

I always begin a tarot reading with a general spread called the astrological spread.  The cards are placed round in a circle like a horoscope chart.  Starting with the card at the `9'oclock position' and going round anti-clockwise.

The first card represents the 1st House - Aries - who you are.  (I also use this area where you have already been ie the past)  
2nd card represents the 2nd house - Taurus - Finances.  
3rd card represent 3rd house - Gemini - What you need to communicate.  
4th card represents the 4th house - Cancer - Home & family.  
5th card represents the 5th house - Leo - Self-expression & children.
6th card represents the 6th house - Virgo - Work environment, co-workers, also health.
7th card represents the 7th house - Libra - Relationships.
8th card represents the 8th house - Scorpio - Other peoples resources, but I always use this area to see how the person is on a psychological level, how they are reacting to change.
9th card represents the 9th house - Sagittarius - Religion, or any training coming up or ongoing, college, university etc.
10th card represents the 10th house - Capricorn - Career, & direction in life.
11th card represents the 11th house - Aquarius - Friends, social life.
12th card represents the 12th house - Pisces - hidden issues that need to be developed over the next 12 months.

I put a card in the centre which represents the general theme of the next 12 months, for example the Death card would represent the person needing to get rid of situations, or even people, that they have outgrown, and begin new things, and embrace the changes that are coming their way in the next 12 months.  Because it is the central card it has a knock on effect in all areas, so they need to transform most areas of their life.

I find this spread covers all areas in the persons life, like a jigsaw puzzle it fits all the pieces of a persons life together so you can get an overall view of what is going on.  I then go on to use shorter spreads like the celtic cross etc, to go in more depth in the areas which the querant  chooses.  

I hope this has helped.  I think others may use different areas and meanings for the cards but the one I have explained above works for me.

Dreamfairy

Hi dreamfairy
The spread looks great, i cant Wait to try it, it looks like just what ive been looking for  
                                             Thank you for posting it