Question for tarot readers

[Sweet Freedom]

My friend and I just had New Year's readings and have a question. During the reading, she kept turning cards and placing some to the side. I didn't think much of it until later when I realized she never revisited this stack of cards. Is this standard, and why did she put them to the side, ultimately discarding them?

Thanks!

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Were these cards discarded face down or face up?

I haven't done any readings in a number of years, but I used to do several types of readings in addition to the usual Celtic Cross, from the books of Eileen Connolly.

Not a single one of those many different spreads required discards, so I don't know what sort of method your reader was using.

My only thought is that maybe this person didn't want to have to try and give interpretations to some of the really depressing cards in the deck like Death and the Ten of Swords? Just a thought, but hard to say without more information.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. A reader is not allowed to edit...the reader never knows what information is vital

to the querent, and what is not. And the Tarot must always be taken in both context and proportion. Death and the upper Swords are not always literal, or are metaphoric regarding transformation.

[Sweet Freedom]

7. Yes, and you know

I want to hear all that stuff!

Happy New Year. Hope you are doing well.

[Fire Walk With Me]

14. And you as well!

[Sweet Freedom]

6. No, she beat me up in my reading.

It really wasn't a happy reading.

[FirstLight]

3. not what i would expect from a reading

my good friend recently re-found her old deck from college in storage... she did a reading on me today...laid out the cards and had me turn them....we bitched at each other about some of the reversed cards, but realized that they were dead on... lol
editing is something I've never witnessed... hmmm?


do you know this lady? was she trying to say the 'right thing'...?

[Systematic Chaos]

4. That is what it sounds like to me.

I could easily imagine someone doing readings for an income just doing or saying whatever to keep clients happy or at least not alarmed over an image on a card. Then again, life has turned me horribly cynical that way.

I never charged for readings. It was something I did because I enjoyed it. And for anyone I was reading for the first time, I took the time to show them the scary-looking cards before we even commenced with the shuffle, to explain that the Death card did not mean they were going to die, the Ten of Swords didn't imply bleeding to death horribly, etc.... I found that many people really appreciated that extra step and it made the process much smoother when those cards would come up.

[Sweet Freedom]

5. Actually, she was sort of hard on me.

I've had readings from her before (I don't think she remembers me), but I actually left the reading rather upset.

[Rainbow Sunrise]

8. I've had a reading where cards were put to the side

But, it was because they fell out of the deck at some point and they were gone back to later for extra insight. So, it does sound strange that she took cards out and did not refer back to them.

[Sweet Freedom]

9. Yes, and it was definitely purposeful.

And quick. She'd turn the card in her hand, glance at it, set it aside and then turn another.

[MagickMuffin]

10. No one should look at your cards until they turn them over for the reveal

If someone is viewing the cards, then they do not know what they are doing. What she did was interfere with YOUR reading. She interjected her ego into your reading. Not cool, imho. You mentioned you have gone to her before, if it were me she would not get my business again.

I would inquire from this person why they felt compelled to view your cards before turning them over and then discarded them.



I usually only read for myself, I find it more personal. I like the approach of handling the cards, shuffling, and drawing the cards, as I like to fan out the cards and let my left hand guide me instinctively, intuitively and psychically.

Although I have had a couple of people read for me and they were both very informative, I still prefer to do it myself. I do a fifteen card spread. This allows more of a detailed reading.

Of course this is just my observation.

[Sweet Freedom]

16. I like to pick cards, too

I can "feel" them. Unfortunately, I don't know how to read them.

[Systematic Chaos]

17. The Apprentice and Journeyman books by Eileen Connolly can teach you a lot in a hurry.

The Apprentice book is less than $14 on Amazon, not including shipping. The Journeyman one isn't in stock but your local New Age-type shop should have it. Excellent books with readings for all sorts of occasions, and expanded card relationships which add more depth to traditional Celtic Cross readings.

[Lucinda]

11. Did you ask a specific question? Or was this a general reading?

Did you shuffle the cards at all?

I know you said she was hard on you, but was there merit in what she said?
It feels like she was using the cards more as tools in a psychic reading, as opposed to a normal tarot reading. In a normal tarot reading I would NEVER discard cards.

[Sweet Freedom]

15. I shuffled, but she didn't ask for a question.

Yes, there was some merit, but not for my personality. I don't know if that makes sense...I would have to be reborn with a completely different personality to follow her advice.

If I were a Sagittarius, I would have liked her reading, but as a Cappy, it was not for me.

[davsand]

12. I have seen a spread that uses extra cards to clarify another card.

I have never been a big fan of that spread, but I have seen it used a few times. Without knowing the specifics of the layout your reader used, it is difficult for me to say for sure, but I have to wonder if that is what was going on. The spread I am thinking of has a pattern (layout) where each card has a meaning in the spread--just like any other spread does. The catch, however, is that for each card there is another card laid aside to be used if there is a lack of clarity or further answers are required. Call it a "back up" if you like. Something similar can also be done if you are reading a traditional spread like cross and staff (Celtic Cross some call it) and you get to the last card with no clear way to discern WTF the querant is really asking. That does happen sometimes, more often than not if the querant is troubled by a bunch of details surrounding the central issue. For example, the main issue might be "should I move to a different state" but at the same time the worry is there about pulling the kids out of school, leaving behind the elderly parent, and selling off the house... People are not always as focused as you might think.

I have never been a huge fan of that particluar method of reading, but maybe that just has its roots in how I was taught to read. Any spread should be a sort of evolution--just as it is for the person asking the question. Sometimes the answer is there to see with almost neon arrows and flashing lights, other times you gotta dig a bit to find it. Sometimes, the answer is there, but it is in an image that makes sense to the seeker, but not always the reader.

Happy New Year to you--hope your year is happy and rich with all you need!





Laura

[wovenpaint]

13. Reading from a psychic viewpoint

I may move a card's position-once I've gone thru the whole spread-if it makes more "sense" in the changed position. I may turn over another card for further explanation, again, after looking at the whole spread. But, since all the cards are relevant, even if I may not understand any particular one appearing...it's not for me to decide.
And-sometimes a card will jump out as they are being shuffled or laid out for the spread, "crying out for attention", I call it-it goes into the spread at some point and has great relevance to the reading in almost all cases, lol.
So, the short answer from me is "no discards". I'd be interested in learning the reason why they would be.......

[NuttyFluffers]

18. i've only heard of this with beginners not knowing how to read reversed cards.

and only because the cards accidentally got reversed in the client's shuffling.

almost always the rule is to read what is revealed. selective editing just sounds and feels weird... at that point how can you be seeing? you are crafting a narrative instead. that's almost like spell work.

questionable at best. shady at worst.

[eilen]

19. I would get a second reading from a different person

Find another reader. You may not get a different reading though but perhaps the reader will be more helpful, have a different perspective.