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Tarot Reading

Okay, so this isn't really a comprehensive instruction on How To Read Tarot. What it IS is a description of how I read tarot cards. I was describing for someone how I go about it and viola an essay on tarot reading Dragonheart style was born. Enjoy and maybe ;) even find something useful.

In general, for all tarot readings, I ...

• Dim the lights in the room and light a white candle near the reading area. I find that I need a certain "mood' in the room to do a reading properly. Low light and a lit candle do the trick for me. I can't concentrate if, say, the TV is on or if people are walking casually in and out of the room. Also, I don't think I've ever done a reading during the day. Strange, but true. Mood is important, mundane distractions are bad. If the setting is right, it's alot easier to keep from feeling silly or incompetent.
• Discuss the "issue" with the questioner, or if I'm doing the reading for myself I talk to myself about it, prior to shuffling the cards. I try and get past the fluff and angst. The objective is to determine the "right" question to ask. I prefer more mature and proactive questions, like "what will be the outcome if I do this" or "what are the obstacles that are preventing me from attaining my goals". As opposed to things like "who's the father of my baby" or "is my boyfriend cheating on me".
• Have the questioner shuffle the cards while stating and emoting about their question. Some people don't like to have anyone else touch their cards. I tend to anthropomorphize my cards a bit, so I like to let them "get to know" the questioner.
• Split the deck into three stacks and have the questioner pick one. Set aside the other two. I'm not sure why I do this.
• Lay out the cards. I usually sit side-by-side with the questioner, so we see the cards from the same direction. When I first started learning the cards I disregarded "reverse" meanings, it was just too much to remember. I focused mainly on the general idea of each card, instead of delving into the details of all the symbology. Now that I've worked with the same deck for over a decade, I'm familiar enough with them to give a full interpretation for each card. For most spreads I lay out the cards face up.
• Look at the entire spread and generate an overall impression. I look first for patterns. How many major arcana are present? Which suit is in the majority? Are there any significant or repetative numbers, colors, personages? Etc. This will show the general tone of the answer and will give some clues as to the true "importance" of the question.
• Read each card in order. I go with my general impression of the card first. Suit, color, tone, activity, etc. Is the card's color scheme cool or warm or dark or bright? What are the emotions or attitudes of the figures portrayed on the card? Is the picture calming or chaotic or disturbing? Then I delve deeper into the specific symbology. Every deck artist adds all kinds of details that are ripe for interpretation. Flowers, animals, people, celestial symbols, etc. All with their own meanings, all may contribute to the overall meaning of the reading. If I get stumped or (more likely) confused over how the card relates to the situation, I check the "official" meaning in the insert that came with the cards or a tarot book. There's nothing "wrong" with referring to a tarot book, so long as it's a good one and that it's not the primary way you determine the meanings of the spread. If you're having trouble "learning" the meanings of the cards, it's likely that you just haven't found the right deck yet. I went through about 4 decks before settling on the one I use now. And the one I use is not the one I "liked" the look of best. Pretty pictures are one thing, pictures that speak to you is another.
• After reading all the cards I do a "sum up" of the message present for the questioner. By then we're usually on the same wavelength and the repetition serves to solidify the reality of the spread's message.
• If there is still some lingering doubt or need for a more specific answer, I pull one card from the deck and place it face up above the spread. This is the "ultimate answer" card. It'll either say "alright! yes, it'll all be fine, don't worry so much!" or "well, maybe if you get off your butt and do something about it you'll get the answer you want".
• When I'm finished I always transcribe the question and the spread in the tarot journal I keep with my cards.

Now with that in mind, let's go over a few different readings.

Usually, for me at least, the desire to cast a spell is in response to some "need" or "desire" felt in the emotional realm. A tarot reading is very well suited for giving clarity to an emotionally disturbing or obfuscated situation. I'll use three different examples; the "what's going on" reading, the "what will happen if I do this" reading, and the "which path is best" reading.

"What's Going On?"

I use the "what's going on" style of reading in cases where the questioner knows they have a problem, and they want to fix it, but they haven't been able to distance themselves enough to analyze or understand it. Usually the blockage is there because the person is just too upset. Their problem seems to be so all-encompassing and insurmountable that they are unable to do anything but wallow in it. It cases like this I find it most helpful to have someone besides the questioner perform the actual reading. The reader's job is to stay focused on dissecting the problem and revealing the solution, or at least a more positive direction. While the questioner provides the emotive power. As the reading progresses and insights are revealed, the questioner will be eased into a more objective and analytical frame of mind.

For these readings I usually use a Celtic Cross layout. I did a quick search and found a diagram of the layout at wicce.com.

(Although I switch the ordering of 3 & 4.)

I like this layout because it gives a view of the situation as a whole. Here's my cheat sheet of how I read each position.

1. The Questioner - where they are now.
2. The Conflict - what is blocking the questioner, the problem in a nutshell.
3. (farthest left) : The Past - what has been before, what has led to this moment.
4. (below Questioner) : The Below - the underlying cause of what is going on, what has contributed to this conflict, the foundation for the situation within the questioner.
5. The Influences - the external or other important or overriding influences.
6. The Future - what is to come, the immediate future.
7. The Situation - how the questioner sees the situation, the questioner's attitude.
8. The Environment - how those around the questioner see the situation.
9. Hopes & Fears - the questioner's primary positive and/or negative feeling about the situation, any feelings that may be blocking the questioner from progressing.
10. The Final Outcome - sums up the situation.

I don't do the "what's going on" style of readings for myself, since I'm the kind of person that usually knows *exactly* what's wrong when I'm upset. I do do them for others. They're especially helpful for people who have trouble getting in touch with their inner feelings. They're also good for people who aren't very proactive when dealing with their problems. It can assist them in conquering their initial fears and get them moving in a more positive direction.

"What Will Happen If I Do This?"

This is the kind of reading that I do most often for myself when I'm disturbed about a situation or find myself on the cusp of a major life change. This is also the kind of reading I do before casting a spell. While the "what's going on" reading will often show you *what* you should cast, the "what will happen if I do this" reading will look in detail at what awaits you on your decided-upon path.

"Planner" types that operate best when tackling a problem head-on rarely feel that they need this kind of reading, but they will often benefit greatly from one. It can give them insight into something they may have overlooked about their situation, or it may just give them extra confidence that the path they've chosen is the right one.

Back in November I had some elective surgery done. Immediately prior to the surgery I was consumed by nervousness and did a reading to see the wider repercussions of my decision to go through with it. It didn't tell me to do it or not do it, that wasn't the point of the reading. (Warning, Warning! Soapbox Issue Approaching!) Asking the cards a "should I" question is never very productive. When you ask a "should I" question, you're taking the power of choice away from yourself and giving it to some outside, and usually illusionary, agency. When you feel the need for a "should I" type of answer, that's when you know what is really needed is a "what's going on" reading... which will give you the information you need to make the decision yourself. Then you can double check yourself and further clarify matters with a "what will happen" reading once you've decided on a course of action.

I tend to use the same celtic cross layout for these types of readings. When asking the cards the question I focus on what I intend to do, why, and ask specifically for the reading to bring to light anything I should beware of.

"Which Path is Best?"

This is a down and dirty kind of reading for situations where you know what's going on, you have a plan of action in progress, but there's one little unforseen detail that is niggling at you to make a pivotal choice. In this case I can tell you about when my husband and I were buying a house. There was a competing offer, and our offer was first in line to be presented, but we had no idea what amount the other people would offer. We really wanted the house, so deciding how much to offer was a pivotal decision... we were pretty sure that the sellers would take the highest initial offer, but the house itself was only worth a certain amount to us. So we did a "which path is best" reading. We had three numbers in mind for our offer: $5K over list price, $8K over list and $10K over list. We could easily afford all three, and we *could* have just offered the highest we were willing to pay for this house... but instead we asked the cards to tell us how we would feel about the outcome for each amount. We laid out two cards for each of the three offers. The first two cards were DESPAIR and DELAY, confirming for us our suspicion that the other offer was likely to be that much or more. The second two cards were all happy happy joy joy (I think the Empress seated on a thrown of plenty was one of the cards). The third pair were also good, but with a tinge of regret, probably over having to pay slightly more than the house was probably worth. So we offered the middle ammount and got the house... by, you guessed it, a difference of two or three K.

I use this kind of reading to bring instant clarity to a choice where most everything except my attitude is out of my control. We had no way to find out what the other people were going to offer and we had no direct control over which offer the sellers would accept. What the reading was really able to do for us was say "you really are willing to pay more than $5K over list for this house, and if you don't you'll kick yourself for losing it over a few K" and "hey, $10K over list is too much to pay for this house, if you pay that much you'll resent it later". The reading helped us realize that the middle figure was the one we would be most comfortable with in the long run.

As you can see from these examples, I tend to use tarot for personal analysis rather than pure divination. Finding out "what the future holds" doesn't interest me. I see the future as a tapestry yet to be woven. I am much more interested in the pattern around me, how I am affecting it and judging from the clues in the present, what is the next step I should take.

Spinning Wheel Coven
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Morgen Argante Dragonheart (argante@waterwitch.org) © 1997-2007
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