Positions are questions, not decorations
A spread position defines the job a card must perform. Write each position as a question that can receive a distinct answer. Avoid vague labels such as energy or message when a more precise role—constraint, evidence, cost, next test—would be clearer.
The same card can answer different questions in different positions, but its canonical function does not change. Position modulates function; it does not rewrite it.
Build a readable sequence
A compact spread usually needs an orientation, a mechanism and a movement. Larger spreads should add information only when each position changes the reasoning. If two positions ask the same thing, merge them.
Read each card on its own first. Then connect adjacent cards and finally synthesize the spread. This prevents a dramatic overall story from swallowing inconvenient details.
Combination rules
Name the relation between cards: alliance, sequence, tension, corrective or cycle. Direction matters. Card A acting on Card B may not mean the same as B acting on A.
When cards conflict, preserve both functions and describe the tradeoff. Do not solve contradiction by declaring one card stronger without a stated rule.
Stop rules
Stop drawing when the original question has an actionable answer, when additional cards repeat the same mechanism, or when the reader is searching for a preferred result. Record the spread before clarifying it so hindsight cannot rewrite the draw.