Not Every Card in a Spread Needs to Be Read

Comment

Comment by Deborah Frueh on May 26, 2011 at 7:25am

Hi, Jan

It's true that the radio show mini-readings provide no feedback. That is equally as frustrating from the reader's standpoint, by the way.  Mini-readings have built-in difficulties in many ways.  I would suggest that you might go to the reader's webpage (assuming they have one) to read testimonials.  Sometimes the listeners will provide feedback there which is useful to other listeners and the reader themselves.

Comment by Dax Carlisle on May 24, 2011 at 11:03pm

You're welcome Melinda! Wow, this post REALLY grew. I even mentioned it in the Update tonight. John's class was great too! It was an unusual spread, 24 cards. More than that, it was like a whole other reading method. Very cool for John's first class.

This post really has gone in every direction. What a great conversation. But back to the original post from John A., I still say you don't "have" to read every card. Mikael just made a comment, saying how cards can be like words in a sentence. "Even small words like 'is' are important." True, but I can take a sentence or paragraph and pull words out and you will still be able to read it. I've also seen paragraphs with all the vowels removed and you can still read it!

It's important to also note that the reverse is also true. One card can have multiple meanings in a reading. Different symbols on the same card can be referring to information for different parts of the reading. A good example of this is Susyn Blair-Hunt's Three Layers of Meaning, from her book: Tarot Prediction & Divination: Unveiling Three Layers of Meaning, where she reads the same cards from three different angles - predictive, therapeutic, and spiritual. 

Comment by Melinda Carver on May 24, 2011 at 3:42am

Yes Dax,

Tarot is NOT a stepping stone to be psychic, but it DOES help those to develop intuition, especially when they learn how to use their deck.  Some people only develop their intution but not their psychic ability.  Each person is different, just like our hair style!

This is a great post for newbies to see the various opinions (John A, Jenny, Deborah, John B., yours, mine) and to learn from it.  Again, I believe that all cards have to read that are drawn, some are just sign posts (you called them clarification) and add small info to the overall reading.

Now about the mediumship, I never thought to ask for full name/address/etc - that is how John B.'s cousing read.  I on the other hand give a full description of the deceased (height, hair, shape, face shape, any outstanding features, scares,etc) and then tie that in with specific clothing they show me.  The deceased also usually tell or show me or make me feel HOW they passed and then give me specific symbols or pictures of things that meant something to them and the seeker.  Everyone is different on how they read or give a reading. 

Thanks for the compliment on how I promote myself! 

Comment by Melinda Carver on May 24, 2011 at 3:34am

Mikael,

I did not say to ignore any card - some cards are just subtle and are sign posts - you still read them for the "flavor", "hint", or "clarification".  You have to read each card, even if it's just a dash of pepper in a recipe!

And yes, Tarot is a tool for intuition - the more a reader uses his/her Tarot deck, the BETTER reader they become.  It's not about giving definitions or keywords, the seeker does NOT want a definition, they want their answer and it's up to the reader to read and interpret the cards per the seeker.

Comment by Mikael Johansson on May 24, 2011 at 1:30am

Now here is something interesting:

As I was reading the previous page of this blog I was thinking that cards in a spread can be like words in a sentence, even small words like "is" are important.

 

Then John B, and Melinda wrote:

 

>>I stated Tarot can be a tool because some people have really strong

>No you didn't. You wrote:
>>Tarot is a "tool" for 

>You wrote 'is' and not 'can be'.

 

So there was a psychic connection to a post on the next page =)

And it strengthens my belief that skipping cards can be dangerous.

 

They might look unimportant, but do we know that they are, just by ignoring them?

Comment by Dax Carlisle on May 23, 2011 at 11:21pm

WOW! Amazing discussion. 34 comments ...oops, 35 comments so far! Surely one of the most commented on posts ever. So much was discussed, I'm not sure where to start, so I will start at the beginning, with John A's post. I wish this system let you comment as you read ..it just read through 4 pages!

This is very timely too, as John A is about to give a class tomorrow evening (late) on reading methods including a 24 card spread. As to John's basic premise "Not every card needs to be read", I have to agree with that. Especially as John is using this in the context of speak to new Readers who maybe be anguishing over one card they aren't "getting". I often use smaller spreads and it's usually only the main center (I call the Heart of The Matter) card that I really need. The other cards are "clarifiers".

It's important to note, that I am talking about a non-positional spread. In a spread with fixed positions, you generally WOULD look at every card, because it has a position. I use these spreads more with an in-person client. This brings up another point as much of the commenting assumed a client being present. There were comments about whether or not the card might still have meaning to the client. Well, it's not going to have meaning, nor any of the other cards, if you are reading long-distance and the client never sees the cards.

This also goes to "styles" of reading as well. For many readers, the cards are information for them, not the client. I would also point out that all this is very interesting to us as Tarot readers/enthusiasts, but for most clients, especially if they are hundreds if not 1000s of miles away, they could not care less. They are asking a question and want an answer and don't care what cards we drew or whether or not we read all the cards. That's another point, with 98% of my readings being long distance, phone or chat or email - or a mini-reading on the radio show, the client would never know if I did interpret all the cards or not. On the radio show, I sometimes mention the cards and talk about them, but only because I know a lot of Guild members are listening and want to hear that.

For readers like Mark Reed, who often employ a Gestalt method of reading, quite the opposite is true. The client is often shown each card and asked what THEY see. This brings up a whole other discussion that perhaps needs its own thread - who's reading is it anyway? If it's the client's reading and his/her subconscious that's involved, shouldn't THEY be looking at the cards? or is the reader garnering the information from their subconscious, or psychic ability? or is their no intuition involved and we are merely supposed to interpret the cards by face meaning?

I for one can't imagine reading the cards without intuition. Good readings don't come from a few keywords ascribed to the various cards and then an intellectual analyzation. I also agree that we ALL have psychic ability and it can be developed. I further agree with Melinda, that use of divination tools, such as Tarot, does help develop one's intuition the more you use it, like any muscle. I agree with John B however that Astrology is not one of these tools, in the purest sense. Astrology is charts and positioning, mathematics and interpretation of meaning. Different Astrologers interpret differently. Now an Astrologer may also be psychic/intuitive and employ those talents, like Nostradamus - he was an Astrology, but also a "Seer" using Scrying. The two things have nothing to do with each other.

I, like John B, am also dubious of many of the Psychics & Mediums out there. I love John B's story of his kin in Scotland that required the full name, birth date and last address, to be verified before a "spirit" was allowed to speak. I'd LOVE to see John Edwards or Sylvia Brown be required to come up with THAT!

I am also not too keen on the words "Psychic" and "Tarot" used together. Many of you have probably heard me speak of this before. I think of these as separate things, siding with John B a bit. Now I like how Melinda does it. She bills as a "Psychic Medium & Tarot Reader" ...this is more accurate. Many people who call themselves "Psychic Tarot Readers" use the Tarot as a prop. What they say has nothing to do with the cards they draw at all. No I know I am going to get flak for this, but I think it denigrates the Tarot as a pure art-form of its own.

If you are getting information in your head - pictures, audio, smells, whatever - then that is psychic information. You are a Psychic, not a Tarot Reader. Now I know people all work in different ways, so if you really ARE a Tarot Reader, but also receive psychic information, that's terrific! Then you are a Psychic and a Tarot Reader.

Although I said that reading and working with the Tarot will help develop your intuition, the Tarot is not a stepping stone or training wheels to becoming a Psychic - although that doesn't happen - but Tarot is it's own, stand-alone, sacred tool. You don't need anything else. It is not just a tool for psychic development.

That's why I was first drawn to Tarot. I have always had a scientific mind, been left-brained. I had no psychic ability and that's why I was intrigued with Tarot. You didn't need to be "Psychic".  The truth is that I really have always been empathic and working with the Tarot has heightened my intuition. A nice balance of left & right brain is best. That's why I think one should both learn Tarot intuitively (first), but still study it academically as well ...the symbology, history, etc.

I agree that the are too many books, too many decks and it can be quite confusing to the new student, especially these days with there being SO much more out there than when most of us started studying Tarot. I also agree with John B that, although I like the imagery of many new decks, most aren't worth the paper they are printed on. I agree with Melinda about picking and sticking with one deck, at least initially. I agree with John B, it should be the Waite/Smith. I always teach from the Waite/Smith because of the symbolizm. It may not be as pretty, but too many new decks lack the depth. 

Comment by Melinda Carver on May 23, 2011 at 9:05pm

Thanks John for a spirited discussion! 

Well, we have different opinions because we are different people.  You were shaped one way, I was shaped another. 

Some people can say the same for Tarot readers - I've been to readers that give the SAME reading to everyone - regardless of the cards drawn.  Again, I strongly and firmly believe it's a skill level that puts you through to the next level.  Strong skills - no matter what type of reading - are the key.

Comment by Melinda Carver on May 23, 2011 at 9:01pm

Hi Mary!

Yes, it's been a fun discussion!  But that's the beauty of Tarot - there are so  many decks/books/etc and so many people that READ Tarot.  Each person reads Tarot by the way they were shaped - learning ability, who taught them, self-taught, experiences, etc. 

Repectful disagreements, difference of opinions are always welcome.  That's how people grow!

 

Comment by John Ballantrae on May 23, 2011 at 8:53pm

Dear Melinda:

>I stated Tarot can be a tool because some people have really strong

No you didn't. You wrote:
>Tarot is a "tool" for

You wrote 'is' and not 'can be'.

As for the rest, I have very little time for psychics and their so-called abilities. We disagree on this. The psychic fellow and the woman looking for love - if he had begun with: When or if you become involved with a church group, then you'll find that a couple of members will try to get you together with someone... then that would have been more impressive, but he changed his tune when the woman disagreed. If he was that psychic, he would have known she wasn't going to church at that time.

I remember a relative of a friend of mine who gave readings at a Spiritualist church in Scotland. If any spirit wanted to have him pass on information, he required a full name, date of birth, and the last address the person lived at. If this was recognized as correct, the spirit was allowed to speak.

Tv and radio psychics don't have such high standards. Add the fact that people are happy with very little, and a psychic's reputation may be build on sand. Plus what the psychic often says seems to mean something, but applies to everyone. One psychic began a reading by telling the questioner that she knew from her voice that this was a kind person, but that not everyone appreciated what she did for them. You could say this to Adolph Hitler and he would see it was true. I'm sure in his own mind he thought he was kind, but not everyone appreciated it.

>By using Tarot or any other metaphysical tool, the practioner will get stronger, using their card reading ability anintution/psychic/other!

Not necessarily. They might get stronger or more convincing, but they can still be completely wrong.

> My friend Andrew in the UK is a professional astrologer that can go in a trance while reading a chart.

This is not astrology. This is trance mediumship and he is not using the factors in a natal chart to derive the information. Take a look at johnballantrae004 on YouTube to see some analysis of a natal chart. It's very simple and basic, but hardly anyone can do it.

>What decks do you use?

The Rider deck.

Comment by Tarot Dactyl on May 23, 2011 at 8:52pm

Wow - awesome discussion!  It's like virtual cage-fighting Tarot-style! But, y'all know what's weird?  I swear practically every book I get asked to review that has the slightest thing to do with psychic ability or intuition says that we all have psychic ability.  We either develop itor we don't.  Seems to be pretty much up to us.  In fact, several of those books suggested tarot as a psychic or intuitive tool...hmmm.  Who's right?  Who's wrong?  Also, except for a couple exceptions, every Tarot book I have says there is no right or wrong way to read Tarot!  So could it be that there is no right or wrong?  What's wrong with that?  Do we live in a finite universe?  I say, if it's workin' for ya, Keep workin' it, baby! :)

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