Here we will deal with the Celtic cross spread as it is very good for beginners to work with. For non-beginners take a look at books on layouts. They cover the gamut—there are astrological twelve house layouts, there are layouts dealing with personality constructs like the shadow or the divine feminine or what Jung called the Mater. There are layouts that are connected to different cultural understandings like ones that delve into past lives & there are layouts dealing with certain aspects of life like relationships. Then too as you become more adept you can give a shot at creating your own which is fun & can be very insightful as well.
As for out Celtic cross it looks like this:
Card 1 the significator, is typically your client or sometimes the issue itself.
Cards 1 thru 6 create an extended cross shape & build on the initial cross created by 1 and 2.
Card 2 crosses card one and is what supports, blocks or adds a charge (of any type) to the question being asked.
Card 3 is left of the cross created by 1 and 2—this represents the distant past, depending on the client’s age. It covers developmental hurdles, often in early childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. It expresses what the client idealizes & or avoids.
Card 4 is under the small cross. It represents the immediate past, or what just literally happened & or how the client feels about it.