“Umm … What do you think,” said the Tarot reader, “ Umm … about what I’ve said?”

Doesn’t make you want to start talking about your personal issues, does it?

We all tend to focus on accurate predictions and delivering a coherent story. That stuff is important.

How you invite the client to interact is equally important. When it comes to prompting discussion, how you entice them into the narrative or story may make all the difference between some sharp grunts and an explosion of discussion.

Think about it: What urge grabs the client’s attentions and compels them to reveal their darkest fears? What gets them to talk about their Tarot reading? What happens when you’ve made all the predictions the spread has to offer?

Depending on how you’ve conducted the reading, there’s a good chance that nothing happens. The client mentally nods and thinks, “Good reading.” Then he or she walks out the door.

I don’t know about you, but I find this kind of situation intensely draining.

The problem

A Tarot reading that is too good, that has too much information in it, might just be the problem. A good narrative with plenty of accurate predictions (Hits) is a great Tarot reading, sure. When you present your Tarot reading with too much information, when you make the story too tight, though, you shut down the conversation.

Solution

Those who coach individuals on social skills encourage people to ask open-ended questions. Open ended questions keep conversations going. These coaches promote getting the other person to talk about himself.

People love to talk about themselves. So be interested in what another person has to say.

Now, I’m sure most of us ask our clients open ended questions (even without thinking about it). But it isn’t simply asking the question that encourages discussion, it’s also in how you show the client you’re interested.

Where can you show that interest? Where’s the best place for that open-ended question? Right after your first big hit (prediction — accurate details of present events).

Here’s an example of the problem.

The client: I’d like a relationship reading.

You: Okay. The person in question is an alcoholic ( as you say this, you notice that it resonates with the client — hit 1 ), and they frequently say one thing, but do another (you notice hit 2). However, their career depresses them ( hit 3 ), and their family interferes. I think, from a psychological perspective, that a part of the problem is due to how he sees relationships? He had a strange relationship with his Mother. Umm … What do you think umm … of what I’m saying?

Your client: Yeah. It’s fine.

You might have shown great insight, but did you show interest? Did you ask that open ended question to get the client involved? Did you encourage discussion? Not at all. You handed them an answer and shut down conversation so nicely that getting more from the client becomes almost impossible.

They’ve heard you. They’ve moved on. It’s the fine-line difference between talking at someone and talking with someone.

Bottom line, if you don’t get the client to open up and discuss the reading, there’s a good chance they won’t return for a second one.

To help show how you might try a different tactic to get those discussions going, here’s another example.

The client: I’d like a relationship reading.

You: Okay. The person in question is an alcoholic ( as you say this, you notice that it resonates with the client — hit 1 ), and they frequently say one thing, but do another (you notice hit 2). However, their career depresses them ( hit 3 ), and their family interferes. What do you think he feels about his families interference? I can tell it impacts considerably on the relationship (I often throw in a statement at the end of an open ended question to help reinforce the prediction).

Your client: Well, I’m not sure. I know there were problems between him and his Mother when he was a child, and you’re right, it does impact on the relationship. He doesn’t talk about it much and I think his drinking is getting worse. I’m worried about him. What do you think will happen with his career?

You: Things are getting more difficult for him. Particularly with his Employer. Have you tried {this is where you give the client advice} to improve things?

And so on.

So the next time you do a Tarot reading, pay attention to the story and the accuracy of your predictions — and then pay just as much attention to your client. Construct the story in such a way that encourages discussion and conversation. Get your clients involved. Learn about their experiences. Have them talk about themselves.

Don’t you think that it makes all the difference to how enjoyable an experience it is, not just for them, but for you? Yes or no, let me know.

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Few things in life are guaranteed. This is especially true if you’re a Tarot reader.

But this one rule — the Rule of 2 — is guaranteed. Iron clad.

Doesn’t matter who you are, how you read, or how hard you try to prove this wrong.

You won’t.

You can’t. The Rule of 2 will make your Tarot readings better. Every time. No exceptions.

Want to be a better Tarot reader?

Here’s what you do:

After you have made your predictions to the client, provide them with choices by converting the Tarot cards from passive forces into active ones.

That’s it.

No matter what type of Tarot reading you’re giving — career, relationships, health — if you give the client the option to change the outcome by converting the Tarot cards from passive events into something the client can do …

… you have my iron-clad, 100 percent guarantee that you’ll deliver a better reading.

Every time. Dependable as death, taxes and comedy.

How exactly does this work?

Simple.

Each Tarot card can be read in two ways. The first way is passively, and the second is actively. The first way is how we generally make predictions — the 5 of Cups means the client will experience loss, the 9 of Disks means the client will inherit money etc. The second way is how we give advice.

Here’s how it works:

1. Deliver the Tarot reading as normal. Read the cards passively. State what the future will be like for the client. Explain the outcome to their questions.
2. At the end of the reading, if they are unsure of how to proceed, provide them with some choices.
3. Do this by converting the relevant Tarot cards into active forces.

I’ll let Crowley explain:

“The Five of Wands is therefore a personality; the nature of this is summed up in the Tarot by calling it “Strife”…This means that, if used passively in divination, one says, when it turns up, ‘There is going to be a fight’. If used actively, it means that the proper course of conduct is to contend.”

The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley p43

Notice that he hasn’t said that the proper course of conduct is to become a bad person. He hasn’t said, go out and be immoral. No, all he has said is, “contend.” Start fighting for your rights.

What if we replace that card with the 3 of Swords?

Does that mean that we tell people to go out and stab someone in the heart? No, of course not.

But what if we said, “In order to get your life back, you’re going to have to break his/her heart?”

Does that sound so bad?

If we just stopped our Tarot reading dead after reading the Tarot cards passively, the client would have walked away thinking that the future holds nothing but grief and sorrow. This way, the Tarot offers them a way to liberate themselves … the liberation in the form of action: sever the links to someone who causes you pain.

We have definitive steps the client can take to improve their future. End the relationship, as difficult as that is, and things will get better. Remember, this isn’t just advice we have plucked out of thin air. This is advice based on the Tarot cards in front of us.

The main thrust of the rule of 2 is to read the exact same cards in two different ways. You go from reading the cards as passive events that will happen to the client, onto providing advice and options based on the active force behind the cards.

What if the client doesn’t need advice?

Are you sure?

More often than not, people seek out a Tarot reading because something is confusing them. They don’t know what to do, or they want clarity where they have none.

By using the rule of 2 and switching the cards from their passive to active roles, we automatically provide options. And here is the really important point. We’re not making it up. We are not bringing our own emotions, feelings or morality into the reading. We are remaining absolutely impartial. By trusting the Tarot to deliver the right advice to the client, we free ourselves of the responsibility to guess what the right course of conduct might be.

And the really good thing about this — it requires no extra investment of our time. The Tarot has done all the heavy lifting. All we have to do is interpret.

Two readings for the price of one

The rule of 2 provides the client with two readings for the price of one.

This technique is efficient because we use the same cards throughout. We don’t need to deal out two spreads — a future spread then an advice spread. Both possibilities already exist within the Tarot cards themselves … at any one time.

If the client likes what the future offers then the advice is simple — “keep doing what you’re doing.”

If the client wants to change their future — then use the same Tarot cards to convert outcomes into options.

This doesn’t just apply to external forces. For the more psychological reader, this technique is still valid. For instance, the 8 of Swords could indicate that you interfere with your own plans; self-sabotage. Converting that passive interpretation into an active one, we could say, “Interfere with the interference.” The Tarot has given you the problem and the solution all within one card. This approach encourages awareness.

Exercise!

A good way to practice this technique is to deal out some Tarot cards and convert them into active forces.

Ask yourself questions to help you make the switch from passive to active. What advice do they offer? What proactive approach is the card suggesting the client take? Here is a short list to help get you started.

• 3 of Swords: Sever all ties. Break their heart … and leave.
• 5 of Cups: Let someone down.
• Tower: Attack — Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war.
• 5 of Swords Accept the price you will have to pay and make it happen at any cost.
• 8 of Swords: Think before you speak.
• 8 of Cups: Abandon everything!

Combinations

1. 9 of Swords, 2 of Cups: Be cruel to be kind.
2. 5 of Disks, 6 of Cups: Time to look after yourself, not other people.
3. 10 of Wands, 7 of Disks: Micro-management will get you nowhere. Time to delegate.

You get the idea!

By using the rule of two you will deliver better and more effective Tarot readings each and every time … Guaranteed!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this technique. Let me know if you agree or disagree with it. What problems do you foresee using it? Want a place to practice this technique? Share and discuss it here, talk about it amongst yourselves — let’s learn from each other.

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to help people with their Tarot readings. I started to write a post covering a technique that I claimed would, “… Blow your mind!” But the truth is, no single technique is ever going to miraculously produce good readings, like so many things in Tarot, the circumstances will determine its success. And more often than not, it’s a combination of techniques that, when combined together, produce the best insight.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a massive fan of techniques and I use them all the time, but what I’m saying is that there is more to learning the Tarot than just techniques. On top of techniques we have to learn the right attitude, how to relax, how to enjoy it and how to flow with it. All these additional skills combine to let the intuition of the Tarot reader flow.

So, yes we have techniques, but we also have so much more. Techniques can be learned in a relativity short space of time, while all the other personal attributes that a Tarot reader has to acquire will develop at its own pace.

So, rather than write about a killer technique that’s going to blow your mind, I thought I’d write about something that is a little bit more useful — how to troubleshoot when a Tarot readings doesn’t make sense.

Troubleshooting & The skill of asking questions!

How do we troubleshoot a Tarot reading? In a nutshell: Ask questions.

When something is confusing it is often because we don’t understand it, and the best way to translate confusion into something that makes sense is to ask questions.

I’ve recently talked about using rationality as a way to access intuition and asking questions is kind of similar; not identical by any means, but it does rely on the logical mind to get things flowing again.

If a reading gets to the stage that we need to do some troubleshooting then its because our intuition didn’t pick up on anything, or we blocked it somehow, or we had an aversion to certain cards, or we had expectations for what the spread will say. Whatever the reason, approach it by asking yourself some questions.

Here is a list of five questions to ask yourself next time a Tarot reading doesn’t make sense — and five solutions.

1. Do you have expectations?

Expectations are the killers of good Tarot readings. They destroy objectivity and impartiality.

When we do readings for friends, family or ourselves, we tend to have expectations (hopes even) for what cards should appear where. When that doesn’t happen, we can get confused.

Objectivity and impartiality aren’t easy things to develop. The truth is, humans can never be completely objective or completely impartial, all we can do is expected the unexpected.

Enter each Tarot reading with an open mind.

2. Are you having an adverse reaction to certain cards?

We all have Tarot cards that are difficult to understand or cause an adverse reaction in us. Take a moment and ask yourself, “Why does this card irritate me?”

More often than not, the reasons that the card produces such an adverse reaction is because you’re not being impartial. Sure, from a psychological perspective the adverse reaction would hint that you need to work with the character represented by that card, but on a practical level, you’re not being impartial.

Next time a Tarot card produces an adverse reaction in you, stop for a moment. Recognise that this card is producing an emotional response that is clouding your ability to interpret the other cards. Allow yourself to fully feel whatever emotions that card has invoked in you and then, let them go.

3. Are a minority of Tarot cards conflicting with the majority?

Regardless of what Tarot spread you use, there will always be a minority of cards that conflict with the majority. What do you do?

Combine the cards that are confusing you with the outcome card.

As an example: let’s take the 5 of Swords and the 9 of Swords as the cards that are confusing me with the Ace of Wands which, in our example, shall be the outcome card. A possible interpretation is to say that a career opportunity will be successful, despite attempts by a colleague to thwart it. Expect the use of underhanded methods, the
consequences of which will live with the client for a long time.

I solved my confusion by using my imagination to isolate the difficult minority. I combined them together with the outcome card, produced a snippet of a story and then, having done that, I would reintroduce them back into the overall reading.

Effectively, you combine the cards together so that they form a story. Don’t read these types of cards separately or in isolation; definitely don’t read them according to just their position within the spread. Always approach this problem by combining the cards together to form their own story, from there you can reinterpret the rest of the reading accordingly.

4. Are you confused by a bad card landing in an outcome position when all the other cards appear favorable?

As always, ask how objective or detached you’re being.

On a more practical level, try and interpret the card as something external to the client. The best way to get to grips with any Tarot card is to read it literally. If the outcome card is the 10 of Swords, then the object of the client’s question will result in failure and the ruin of their plans. Try not to read the 10 of Swords as a psychological process that the client is undergoing. Reading that way will add to your confusion. The 10 of Swords has appeared for a specific reason — to let the client know that it will fail. This is not as bad as it seems. It actually creates the possibility for free-choice. Look to the other cards to determine what things the client can do to alter the outcome.

If you’re faced with the dilemma of reading the cards as psychological processes or actual real world events, then always, always read them as objective events — never psychological.

5. Are you confused by contradictions within the spread itself?

This is another common cause of confusion. This type of problem tends to occur more when the Tarot reader uses a positional based spread as opposed to a linear based spread.

Consider the following examples:

• The spread has a position called, “What are your strengths?” Now, imagine how confusing it might be if the 5 of Swords was dealt?
• The spread has a position called, “What are your weaknesses?” Now, imagine how confusing it might be if the Sun card was dealt?

These types of contradictions will happen all the time when you read with positional based spreads. The first thing you have to do is convert the card from a passive force, into an active one. In the case of the 5 of Swords, the person’s strengths are their ability to defeat their enemies at any cost. In the case of the Sun, arrogance and vanity might be their weakness.

Remember what makes a great Tarot reading!

Learning how to troubleshoot a Tarot reading helps to develop the right attitude. This is such an important part of Tarot reading that I can’t stress it enough. It’s the attitude you bring to the reading, your objectivity, your impartiality, your ability to relax, your ability to trust, your ability to enjoy it and to flow with it, that makes all the difference. Having the patience to troubleshoot will strengthen those qualities and over time, make you a better reader.

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It’s been a while since I posted and I want to let everyone know what I’ve been doing, how I see Tarot Eon changing and, afterward, to let you know about a super cool Tarot related Technique that I’ve been using.

Recently I’ve been looking over a lot of Kabbalah related material. I’m not entirely sure what inspired me to go back over old ground but I’m learning and understanding things in a way that I hadn’t before. Foolishly, I didn’t feel it was good enough to write about. I felt I had to really understand what I was learning before I could post about it. This, I now realise, was a mistake.

From now on, I’m going to be writing posts on anything that I find interesting, or inspiring — just like the technique I’ll be explaining near the end of this post.

Does that mean poorly written posts?

No — but it does mean that they won’t be complete explanations of the subject matter in question. Personally, I now think this is a great thing. Rather than cover the subject in one post, I might take 3 or 4 posts to do it. As I learn, so shall you. Likewise, rather than providing all the background information to a technique, I might just quickly explain how to do it. This will really free me up to start posting on things that are fascinating me in that moment, rather than, as I’ve been doing, waiting several months before I write them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be writing posts the way I always have. The big change I want to make is to start writing about things as I’m learning them.

I foresee a lot more interactive learning going on — between you, dear reader, and me. I’d really love to hear people’s opinions on this. If you don’t like this idea, let me know and I’ll take it under consideration. If a lot of you don’t like it, then I won’t do it. Tarot Eon is as much about you as it is me.

Super Cool Tarot Tip

Now for the more interesting part. This is an awesome little thought experiment that I’ve been conducting, pretty much daily. It comes from the Kabbalistic side of things, but its really helped me to connect with Tarot in a new, and rather rejuvenating way.

The technique itself is designed to help people with the symbolism of Tarot (and Kabbalah should you wish), in a very gentle, lighthearted, but powerful way. One of the really cool features of this technique is that it can be used and practiced at any time, at any place, whenever you feel like it. In other words, you don’t need a Tarot deck when practicing this technique!

The Technique

1. Whilst walking around, get into the habit of attributing things to their appropriate Tarot card.
2. On seeing a car, I reflect on the Chariot card.
3. On seeing the Sun, Moon or Stars, I reflect on the Sun, Moon or Star Trump card.
4. When ever I desire a cigarette, or a smoke of my Pipe, or whenever an addiction or desire begins to rule my actions, I reflect on the Devil.
5. Whenever some good fortune, luck or strange coincidence occurs, I reflect on the Wheel of Fortune.
6. Whenever I see a building in the process of being demolished, or one that stands in ruin, or whenever I see something that used to work but now lies broken, I attribute it to the Tower card.

Okay, not very exciting, right? But there’s no need to stop with those simple examples. Build upon them. I’ve started attributing Ideas and Concepts to the Tarot. For instance, whenever I encounter dishonesty I think of the Magus card poorly dignified.

But, we can go beyond even this. We can get into the habit of attributing all types of human experience to the Tarot cards, as we encounter them in our daily lives. For instance, whenever I encounter faith (9 of Swords, Star card etc), or laughter (Devil card, Three of Cups etc), or singing (3 of Swords), or money, or debt, or walking, or Schools, or whatever else I may encounter during the course of the day, I can attribute that to a Tarot card.

As you can see, this is an amazingly powerful yet beautifully simple and relaxed approach to integrating the Tarot into our lives. It’s useful in that it doesn’t even require you to have your Tarot deck ready, or to allocate some special time during the day in which to practice it. To me, that’s the sign of a great technique.

I’ve only been doing this for the last week and already I’m beginning to notice a different type of clarity forming during my Tarot readings.

The inspiration for this idea came from Magick without Tears. The link I’ve provided takes you straight to the online version of this book, where you’ll be able to read about applying this technique in greater detail. It’s especially useful if you want to integrate the Kabbalah into your practice.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on. Also, if you discover something while using this technique that I haven’t mentioned or you think would be super useful for other people, I’d really enjoy hearing about it.

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I know you were just thinking to yourselves: man, I hope Doug posts some super nerdy, completely obscure and geeky approach to reading Tarot, the kind that if you start talking about it at parties means you’re walking home alone that night. Don’t worry, I got your back.

For the last six months or so, I’ve been playing around with a technique that I feel has made an enormous impact on the quality of the readings I produce. It’s deceptively simple in execution but surprisingly complex to apply (yup, it’s a contradiction and one I’m sure you’ll come to appreciate when you start giving this a go). I love it and I want to share it with you.

I should mention that I’m not going to cover any of the complex theory behind this technique, in part because I’m not convinced it’s helpful, but also because the theory itself would be in danger of overshadowing the technique (it would demand a post in its own right).

For anyone who is interested in the theory then the abstract framework or thinking behind this technique concerns the Qabbalah and the Tree-of-Life. Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about the Tree-of-Life, I’ll do my best to cover all the practical information you’ll need to know in order to use this technique. Of course, if you want to learn more, then I would recommend the Book of Thoth — which is how I began to learn, and where I got the idea for this technique.

What is the technique?

The Technique is a Meditation. Eventually you will be able to apply it within a Tarot reading, but initially it’s a meditation.

The Technique itself starts as a thought experiment on the structure of Tarot. First, you must view the 22 Major Arcana has having an unusual and perhaps special role within a Tarot deck. Taking this perception a little further, imagine that each of the 22 Major Arcana had its own set of “small cards” that live inside it; each of the 22 Trumps having its own separate Universe.

Each Atu (Major Arcana) possesses its own private, personal and particular Universe, with Demiourgos (and all the rest) complete, just as every man and every woman does.

— From The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley: p189

With this way of viewing the Tarot held firmly in your mind, imagine also that the Court Cards and the Minor Arcana make up the skeletal framework of that universe — the stuff that makes things work, or what holds it together.

The next point is very important. These cards (the 56 small cards) are Blind Forces. They constitute what the Universe is, how it maintains itself, but not how it’s experienced. It’s the 22 Major Arcana that experience these Blind Forces, and each one of the 22 Major Arcana will experience these 56 small cards in its own unique way.

What do you mean by a Blind Force?

Think of it like this: Someone may have a different experience of public transport than another. The public transport is a Blind Force. It is public transport; it’s only people’s perceptions that give it a different story (because each person has a different experience of it). Likewise, the Small cards are the Small cards; it’s only the Major Arcana’s perception of them that give them a different story (because each individual Major Arcana has a different experience of them).

It’s similar to the concept that each individual has their own universe. There is only one Universe but each person experiences their own Universe uniquely.

Think of a Blind Force as something that lacks intelligence. Now the Small cards do have intelligence but they are blind as to how to execute their Being or Function. That is where the Major Arcana comes in. They provide these Blind Forces with meaning — a way for us to understand their specific expression.

I want to stress that I’m not saying that the Minor Arcana have no personality, because they do. For instance, under the Qabbalistic system, the 5 of Wands is subject to many different factors which ultimately result in it being named Strife. The reason I’m explaining things in this way is in an attempt to clarify the importance of seeing the 56 Small cards as Blind Forces.

To summarise:

• The 56 Small cards are the Skeleton of the Universe.
• The 56 Small cards are Blind Forces.
• The 22 Trumps are unique in that they have experience of these Blind Forces.
• The 22 Trumps will experience these Blind Forces in their own unique way, according to their nature.

A handy way to remember all that is to think of each of the 22 Trump cards as having its own Universe, or set of 56 small cards living within it.

Okay, now that we have a sense of what mindset is required in order to do this meditation, what does the technique look like?

How to do it!

1. Select one of the 56 Small cards: The actual choice doesn’t matter. The important factor lies in picking a card you want to learn about. This excercise is very much a meditation as well as a great way to improve your Tarot readings so picking a card that you want to understand, or get to know better is a great way to start.
2. Make sure to have all 22 Major Arcana separated out from the rest of the deck: Because this technique involves learning how the Major Arcana experience the Small cards, it’s helpful to meditate on what a particular Small card will represent for all 22 Trump cards. The best way to approach this meditation is to pick a Small card ( a Minor or Court card — it doesn’t matter) and deal out a Trump card. Interpret the combination and then deal out another Trump card. Repeat until you have interpreted that Small card against all the 22 Major Arcana.
3. Remember, the Small cards live inside each Trump card: Although I have said earlier that you combine the two cards. This isn’t completley true. Each of the Trump cards has its own Universe, with its own set of Small cards. Rather than think, “combine the Lovers with the 4 of Cups”, think, “the Lovers’ 4 of Cups!” It’s a kind of ownership.
4. Write down some quick impressions of each combination: This is critical. Apart from all the obvious benefits, it will aid you in your understanding of the function and behavior of the 22 Trumps.

Example to make things clearer

The following example comes from the Book of Thoth. In it, Crowley uses the Blind Force of the Three of Disks throughout the example. Essentially what he’s doing is to express the Three of Disks through the individual Major Arcana to illustrate how they will alter the experience of this card.

The Priestess’ or the Lovers’ Three of Disks might represent the establishment of such an oracle as that of Delphi, or Adjustment’s (Justice) might be the first formula of a code such as Manu gave to Hindustan; Hierophant’s, a cathedral; Tower’s, a standing army; and so on. The great point is that all the Elemental Forces (the “small cards”), however sublime, powerful, or intelligent, are blind forces and no more.

— Paraphrased from The Book of Thoth by Aliester Crowley: p189

The difference between local and global meanings

Global meanings involve things that impact a large group of people (like a political policy that bans smoking from public buildings). It is a way of describing a group of people that may not know each other but are, or will be, affected by some kind of big event. Things like natural disasters, war, the economy, and so on, would fall into this category.

There are two different types of local meanings. The first is the type of meanings we develop when we first learn Tarot cards and the second is specific to clients the Tarot reader has never met. Lets look at both in turn.

When we first start learning how to read Tarot cards, we normally start by reading for our friends. This can end up being problematic because we already know our friends. We already know their relationship status, financial circumstance and career goals. We already know what they want and how they feel about things which unfortunately means that the Tarot cards start to take on a local meaning. In other words, localised to that Tarot reader and their particular social group (which will undoubtedly share commonalities between all of them — similar political, religious, philosophical ideas, relationship understanding and geographical location).

On the other hand, when that Tarot reader turns professional, they will be reading for people they can’t relate to. They will be reading for people that have radically different religious, political and career related opinions and goals. Just think about how even something as simple as living in a completley different geographical location can radically alter the meaning of the cards — and the Tarot reader’s ability to relate to that different geographical location. Despite this development in meanings, it’s still localised to the client the Tarot reader is reading for.

Examples of the difference between local and global meanings

Why this isn’t the same as regular card combinations

In regular card combinations you take one card and combine it with another in order to produce a child of that combination (something separate and unique). However, this technique involves specifically seeing the Small cards as Blind forces. This means that we are not adding to the Small card, rather, we are looking to how the Major Arcana, whatever one it may be, experiences it. This is a very subtle but powerful distinction.

The Conclusion

Part of the power of this technique is its ability to be used as a mediation. When practicing, try to expand your interpretations to be as global as possible. Look at Crowley’s interpretations for some awesome and inspirational examples. Rather than seeing the Heirophant’s Three of Disks as something related to the career (study for advancement) of the person being read for, Crowley used a global interpretation — a Cathedral.

How does this benefit me?

1. Most events happen within the context of bigger events. By being able to indicate some bigger events to the client, at the very least it will help with timing the local prediction.
2. One benefit that I like, although I accept that this won’t appeal to everyone, is that it allows my readings to become more Oracle like. Consider the predictions from Mythology (and the style in which they’re delivered).
3. By focusing on pure predictive, the possibility for personal growth, understanding (both of oneself, the Tarot and the Universe) is undoubtedly improved.
4. The deepening knowledge of the cards goes without saying, but the pathworking experiences that I’ve had doing this is something I consider to be invaluable.
5. Finally, the quality of your Tarot readings will increase. This isn’t a particularly conscious thing. It just happens.

The ability for this technique to change how you read Tarot cards is immense. I think it’s only natural that people will start by applying local meanings (or whatever it is you relate to) to this technique. However, I think it’s important to examine your interpretation and make sure you haven’t just done a regular card pairing? Could you make this meaning more Global?

This technique does demand a good, core understanding of the 22 Major Arcana. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re currently lacking this, because this technique is precisely geared towards developing your core understanding. Remember to record your experiences. This will become invaluable as time goes by.

At the beginning of this article I said that this technique was “deceptively simple in execution but surprisingly complex to apply”. I hope you can see why this contradiction actually makes some kind of bizarre sense. It doesn’t matter that this technique is easy to understand and practice, it’s actually really tough to do it properly — because it demands that we really think about the relationships that the Major Arcana have with the small cards.

What do you think of the technique? Do you do something similar and if so, what is it? Let me know how you get on with this technique or anything you have done to improve or modify it in some way — especially any examples you may wish to share. I’ll see you in the comments.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

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• How to Troubleshoot a Tarot Reading when it makes no Sense
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• A Quick Tip on using The Major Arcana
• The Chariot Card! A Triumphant Victory or a Personification of the Church?

This is just a quick tip to use whenever your Tarot spread has some of the Major Arcana in it. Ideally, this tip works best with small spreads (10 cards or less) and although it still works with bigger spreads, it’s not as effective.

The real challenge with doing anyone a Tarot reading is to quickly identify what the reading is about. Usually I’ll use a whole bunch of different techniques to quickly make sure that I’m interpreting things along the right lines.

However, one of the best and low intensive ways to accomplish a version of the same thing, but without all the effort, is to simply scan the spread for any of the Major Arcana.

Once found, it’s simply a matter of basing the central theme around these cards. For instance, if the Hermit card is present, does this indicate that the central theme for the reading revolves around issues of responsibility, secrets, hidden agendas and concealed feelings? Or, if the Moon and Tower cards are present, does this indicate that the central theme of the reading revolves around uncovering deception? Of course the big question then is who by? Was it self-deception, other people or perhaps a combination of the two?

Either way we now have a central theme from which to hang the reading around. Once we know what this theme is, it’s simply a matter of using the other cards to help adjust, modify and fill in the blanks.

As with all quick tips, they can never account for all the different variables that can either increase or decrease its effectiveness.

Personally, I’ve found that if time is at a premium, and I’m required to do a quick reading, then this simple technique really comes in handy. Do you use something similar? I’d love to hear your thoughts

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• If There Is One Technique you Must Learn — This is it!
• The Chariot Card! A Triumphant Victory or a Personification of the Church?
• Conjurer or Adept? The Humble Origins of the Tarot Magician
• Tarot Lexicon
• Tarot Picture Cards

This post has been inspired by an earlier article called, Eon Quiz and Robust approaches to Tarot Readings.

In that article I posted a quiz that asked people how they approached a health related Tarot reading. The participation from others was incredible, and inspired a follow up post called Eon Quiz I – Health Question.

The discussions that resulted from these two posts focused on two distinct areas; Ethical, and reader style (predictive versus therapeutic).

In this post, I want to focus on the predictive style, and in particular, three techniques that can be used to answer a Health based question. My main interest is in discovering which, if any of the techniques we explore, is the most robust and bulletproof.

We’ll start this article with an example Tarot reading, and explore three possible techniques to use – always with an underlying emphasis on finding the most robust one.

Example Tarot reading

Despite my best efforts to make this post as universal as possible, everyone will have slightly different interpretations on what the positions in the Celtic Cross Spread signify. I don’t actually think it really matters what definition you use for what position. However, for those of you who would like to know how I read with this spread, here is a link to a post where I go into greater detail on this aspect of the Celtic Cross Spread.

The Question

In order to keep this reading lighthearted yet useful, I’ve actually done a real reading … on my friend’s cat. This person asked for a Tarot reading on the cat’s health, and with their permission, I’ve used their reading in this example.

In the example that follows, I use the Thoth deck. In order not to exclude people who are unfamiliar with the imagery, I’ve listed the cards used (and the associated positions) after the image.

A list of the cards used in the above example:

1. The present: 5 of Cups
2. The card that crosses the 1^st card: 4 of Disks
3. The card positioned above – it provides clues to the distant future: Ace of Wands
4. The card positioned below – it provides clues to the distant past: 3 of Swords
5. The card to the left provides clues on the recent past: Hanged Man
6. The card to the right provides clues to the immediate future: 3 of Wands
7. The bottom card in the column to the right of the cross provides clues to the client’s influence on the question (is this the cat?): 6 of Disks
8. The next card provides clues to the environmental influences (that means anything outside of my friend’s and cat’s control): 10 of Cups
9. The next card can be read as a potential outcome card and provides clues as to the influence of change (an awesome clue for the future): Prince of Disks
10. The last card is traditionally seen as the outcome card. Death (…ah…)

1^st Technique – Elemental influences

The technique of using Elemental influences to explore someone’s health is quite simple. The first step is to scan the cards and note the distribution of the Elements. Let’s do that now:

• Fire: 2 cards – Ace of Wands, Three of Wands.
• Water: 4 cards – Five of Cups, Hanged Man, Ten of Cups, Death.
• Air: 1 card – Three of Swords.
• Earth: 3 cards – Four of Disks, Six of Disks, Prince of Disks.

The next step is to use that information to predict someone’s (or in our case, the cat’s) health.

Applying the technique

Normally, in health related questions, the influence of Fire indicates vitality. The more Fire cards the better, particularly if there is a large concentration of them in future positions – it indicates vitality returning to the client. In this particular case we only have 2 Fire cards, yet they’re positioned well within the reading (the future cards).

Alternatively, we only have one Air card ( … Swords are traditionally associated with medical procedures and operations). Does this indicate that it won’t come to that?

There are 4 Water cards and 3 Earth cards. This is a fairly nice balance between the two passive Elements.

What does all this tell us?

Well, there’s clearly more passive Elements than active elements. This indicates that it will take some time (relative to the reading) before the cat’s health either improves or deteriorates. Does this tell us that this illness will be lingering for a while; or at the very least, some time passes before any noticeable change in the cat’s health occurs?

With some active Elements present, especially Fire, we can be assured that things do change, but is it for the better?

I’m encouraged by the presence of Earth Elements. It indicates a strong constitution and that the best possible treatment is provided – the kind that provides the cat with a solid chance to improve.

Why use this technique?

The strengths of this technique lie in its simplicity and ease of use. The technique itself will cost no more than 10-20 seconds of your life. It’s really fast to use and it gives an overall impression of timing, imbalances and blockages in a quick and effective manner.

I use this technique as a way to “get into” the reading. It helps direct the flow of the Tarot reader’s story.

Why it’s not robust

It’s too simple. Although it does provide us with a framework for figuring out what has importance within the reading, it doesn’t actually provide any concrete answers.

This is a great technique to use, but it’s not really a “primary” technique but rather a “secondary” or back-up method to the main method used by the Tarot reader.

It could also be argued that it’s deck specific and relies on certain attributions from systems (in my case, the Golden Dawn) not in keeping with the deck creators intentions. Although it can be adapted, it’s not really a universal method for reading Tarot cards.

One way to expand upon this technique is to look for different types of influences as well as obvious patterns within the spread. For example, the ratio between Major, Minor and Court cards; if there are groups of cards with the same number (such as the Four of Cups, Four of Swords, Four of Disks, Four of Wands bring present within the same reading); if the Court cards are looking at each other; where the Court cards are looking etc.

2^nd Technique – Elemental Dignities and Card Pairing

I don’t want to spend too long on this technique because not everyone is familiar with it. For those of you who would like more information, check out a collaborative series of How-To articles that Catherine Chapman and I wrote on Elemental Dignities.

To keep this section of the article brief, I’m just going to read the cards in pairs. I’m going to pair from the outside, and work my way in. In other words, I’ll pair cards 1 and 10, 2 and 9, 3 and 8, 4 and 7, 5 and 6 together. Each card pairing takes us further into the future.

This technique will provides us with an overall story framework for the cat’s health.

Applying the technique

• Card 1 – Five of Cups paired with Card 10 – Death: Here we have 2 Water Elements interacting with each other. This indicates an emotional evaluation of “events”. There is a fear of loss and saying goodbye.
• Card 2 – Four of Disks paired with Card 9 – Prince of Disks: This is another pairing where both cards are the same Element. In this case, Earth. The Prince of Disks and the 4 of Disks show us what a strong constitution the cat has. He’s holding onto his life – he hasn’t given up.
• Card 3 – Ace of Wands paired with Card 8 – 10 of Cups: This is the first pairing in which we have enemy Elements. In card pairing, each card (whether or not they’re “friends” or “enemies”), is considered equal strength within a reading. It seems that where the cat is living (10 of Cups, associated with families) is providing the right kind of healing environment. The Ace of Wands looks to the future, and a return of health. It’s almost giving us a snap shot of “his fighting spirit”, to quote Homer.
• Card 4 – Hanged Man paired with Card 7 – Six of Disks: Here, the Elements are friendly with each other. Despite nobody seeing any improvements in his health for some time (Hanged Man), his body is strong (6 of Disks).
• Card 5 – Three of Swords paired with Card 6 – Three of Wands: Again we have two friendly active Elements. Hmmm…this pairing isn’t so clear cut. Remember, both cards are equally strong so it looks like this illness will be around for a while. Perhaps we are looking at an operation and return to health. The Three of Swords, in this case, being an operation and the Three of Wands being a return to health. Alternatively, we could be seeing short term improvements ahead of a relapse, and ultimately the cat’s passing.

Why use this technique?

As you can see, we now have a story line … of sorts. Although the outcome isn’t completely clear, card pairing did provide us with some valuable and useful pieces of information. This is the real strength of the technique – its ability to provide us with useful information in a very short time frame. Like the first technique, this won’t take longer than a minute (depending on the spread and amount of cards) in use.

Why it’s not robust

There are some limitations to it. The first limitation depends on the spread that the Tarot reader is using. If you use a spread that has an odd number of cards in it, you will end up with just one card, whereas, if you use an even number of cards (like the Celtic Cross which numbers 10) you will end up with two cards at the end.

This is significant because, as in our case, when you end up with two cards (which you pair) the outcome is vague. The value of this technique is greatly improved if you use a spread with an odd number of cards. This means that it’s impossible to pair the last card. This “outcome” card then brings a greater level of clarity.

Naturally, you can just deal an additional card to ensure that you transform your spread from even numbers into odd numbers, but, this isn’t always natural or desirable.

I’ve found that his technique is a great way to end a reading, but not to begin one. I like to use this method as a way of validating my earlier interpretations. If this method ends up creating a similar story to the one I’ve been telling then I’m given more confidence as to the accuracy of my earlier interpretations. If, however, it says something completely different, then I know I need to reassess the reading.

Overall then, this is another great technique that does have strength behind it, but it needs to be used within the right context. For me, it’s real strength lies in its ability to diagnose and validate my previous interpretations. It’s also awesome at bringing out other additional information at the end of the reading.

3^rd Technique – Divinatory Definitions

This is usually the very first technique we learn as Tarot readers. First, we learn the DMs of the cards and second, how to apply them to a positional based Tarot spread – such as the Celtic Cross.

The idea behind it is very simple. Let’s take an example card, such as the Seven of Wands, and apply it to various imaginary positions.

• The past: Someone who, rather than trying to sort everything out in one go, dealt with their problems one at a time.
• The present: Feeling embarrassed, and run down. Perhaps their risk taking went wrong?
• The future: Although the client’s problems won’t go away, they confront the worst of them, and possible overturn them.

As you can see, we take the basic interpretation of the Seven of Wands and adjust its meaning depending on the meaning of the corresponding position.

Applying the technique

Let’s apply this technique to our example reading.

1. Five of cups in the now position: My friend is upset.
2. Four of Disks in the crossed position: There’s a lot of positives that will help my friend’s cat – good medical care, diet plan, financial resources etc.
3. Ace of Wands in the crown position: A return of vitality and a new lease of life.
4. Hanged Man in the past position: Looks like this cat has been sick for a while.
5. Three of Swords in the bottom of the cross position: This indicates the medical care required as well as the level of sickness the cat will experience.
6. Three of Wands in the immediate future position: An improvement in the cat’s health. This card also indicates a good relationship with all relevant professionals involved in the cat’s health.
7. Six of Disks in the bottom of the column position. Typically indicates the person’s influence: A good card. Looks like there will be plenty of positive kindnesses and help occurring around the treatment of the cat. For me, this also represents the cat’s constitution and the strength of that constitution.
8. 10 of Cups in the environment position: I can’t think of a better card to represent the cat’s environment. There are worse places to be … if you’re going to be sick.
9. Prince of Disks in the hopes/fears position: I see this card as representing the cat and the cat’s health. A Prince, or in other decks, a Knight, can represent Events. In terms of health, this would be a good “event”. I also see this position as a potential outcome card. In this sense, it looks like there will be a period of stability and recovery for the cat.
10. Death in the outcome position: This could indicate the physical death of the cat, but what doesn’t eventually die?

Overall, we can see an improvement in the cat’s health. The Hanged Man lets us know that the cat’s been sick for a while, or at the very least, has a history of major illnesses. The other cards point to the cat’s overall strength and fighting spirit. We can also see how other people play a positive role with the future of the cat’s health; and I would fully expect the Vet’s that are involved to be accurate in their treatment.

The Death card is troubling, especially when you consider that the Three of Swords, Five of Cups and Hanged Man are all present within the reading. Without trying too hard we know the situation is serious. But how serious? Yes, the cat’s death is a real possibility, however, so is a period of improved health. If we consider how important the Ace of Wands is when using this kind of technique, it alters the meaning of the Death card. Are we looking at the cat making some kind of recovery followed by a relapse?

Why use this technique?

It’s simple, can be used with any spread or Tarot deck, and its easy to use. It gives fairly clear information and provides a nice structure for the Tarot reader.

Why it’s robust

Because there are no real draw backs to this method. It’s robust in almost all circumstances and conditions. Of course, it does have its limitations. It pigeon holes the client’s life, and assumes a structure (the positional meanings that the spread uses) that the client’s life will easily fit into.

I remember a reading a friend of mine did years a go. A woman wanted to know if her husband’s health would improve. The outcome card was the Empress. There were other highly positive cards involved as well – such as the Star and the Sun. My friend predicted full recovery. A couple of weeks later her husband died. My friend and I couldn’t understand it. How could the Empress predict death? We spent years discussing. Finally, we had a moment of insight. The Empress can depict a woman who owns property – in other words, it represented inheritance. The cards didn’t lie, but sometimes it takes a while to figure these things out.

Another problem with this method is also part of its strength. Because it’s so easy to use, it’s also so easy to apply it incorrectly. Like my friend’s reading where the outcome card was the Empress, we don’t always “see” what the cards are showing us. This isn’t so much a failing of the method but rather a human failing … we can’t always see the forest for the trees.

That’s where the other “secondary” techniques come in. The other techniques can provide the essential checks and balance that every Tarot reader needs in order to ensure a robust methodology to predicting, not just health readings, but any type of reading.

Like anything in life. I’ve discovered that no one technique is instantly superior than the other. Yet, they all have their place within the Tarot reader’s tool kit. For me, some are more “secondary” than others.

Conclusion

Each Tarot reader will have their own spread, their preferred deck and their preferred techniques for health readings. I know I do! But this article isn’t about me, and how I do it. It’s about finding the most robust methods a Tarot reader can use for a health question, and for my money, using some simple DMs within a familiar Tarot spread is about as functional as you can get.

When we incorporate other “secondary” methods, we can add even more useful information. For instance, when I paired the cards, the final pairing left it open ended about the cat’s health. This isn’t really the case with the DMs method. Death is a fairly clear message but so is the Ace of Wands (Birth, something new etc). However we choose to conclude this reading (initially, the cat recovers, for now) it’s clear that it’s going to take some time.

Do you agree or disagree with me? What do you think is the most robust method? What methods have I forgotten about? As ever, these posts are only as interesting as your opinions on them. I’d love to hear what you think. I’ll see you in the comments

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• What the Fuck is going on?

Image: The Knot of Eternity. If you stare at the centre without moving your eyes all the colours disappear.

Reading Tarot cards is not the same as reading a book, or a newspaper, or a magazine.

Normally, when we read something, we start at the beginning and work our way towards the end. A similar process happens when we watch a movie, a soap opera or whatever. We start at the beginning and we only find out, or understand, what the entire story is all about just before the credits roll.

If we want to know whether or not, our two romantic heroes in the heart-wrenchingly melodramatic novel we’re reading ever live happily ever after, we know the only way we’re ever going to find out the answers is by reading the book from start to finish (or if you’re like me, skip a few chapters until the ‘good bits’ start happening).

Reading Tarot cards is completely different

You wouldn’t rewind a movie to find out whats going to happen to the hero, you won’t flick back five chapters of a book to find out whether or not the secret manuscript is going to be discovered by the bad guys, but that’s exactly what you do with a Tarot reading.

A Tarot reading, in its role as fortune teller, ‘plays‘ with time. No longer do the rules of past, present, future apply. Cards, in a Tarot spread, that traditionally represent the past, can often end up representing the future; cards that imply a relationship with someone in the past can also be reinterpreted to indicate a new relationship with someone they will meet in the future. In other words, time, as we all understand it, doesn’t exist.

The Tarot removes the Tarot reader from linear time and throws them into a black hole where the rules of the space-time continuum are mangled.

Although Heraclitus famously said, “you can’t stand in the same river twice” – that is exactly what Tarot readers have to do.

Okay Doug! But what does this mean for me?

It means that Tarot spreads that read like a book, or play like a movie, are a fundamental misrepresentation of how a Tarot reading works. It means that the next time you use a Tarot spread that clearly marks out a liner based time format (like those time-lines that move from the past towards the future), fundamentally demands that you abandon this format when the time comes.

When the time comes?

If I’m asked a lot of unrelated questions by a client, I rarely deal out new cards. To do so, misses the point, and the solution is simple – reinterpret the cards based on their questions. Remember, the Tarot doesn’t view time, nor does it understand time, the way us mere mortals do.

Avoid extra cards – just for fun

The next time you practice Tarot readings, or the next time you feel experimental within your professional practice, reinterpret the cards constantly.

Check out these simple two card readings for some examples:

Hierophant – Page of Disks

A general reading please!

Okay! Firstly, you will successfully pass your exams.

Secondly, you will receive professional advice concerning your debts which, based on these cards, will help (over time) to transform your financial situation.

Third, I think you will meet someone who teaches within the education profession. This person will be on the cusp of publishing some of their ideas within their chosen field.

Is this person married?

Hmmm … yes.

Will I go travelling?

It looks to me like you will be busy at work – some sort of a restructuring process is going to happen and you will be involved with the logistical part of that operation.

What is happening with my son?

He’s completely disrespectful, and I want to know what will happen.

Your son trusts someone – not a friend, and not someone who he would socialize with. This would be an authority figure that he has respect for. This person is subtly teaching your son, and providing moral guidance and direction.

In terms of his relationship with you, things will improve – largely due to the positive influence of this other character.

Overall, he is going to discover what his place is within the world, and his own sense of right and wrong.

6 of Cups – 7 of Swords

General Reading please!

You will eventually go travelling with someone special.

Regardless of anything else that happens to you, always in the background will be your need to understand yourself – a kind of self-counselling.

You’re not going to feel as confident within relationships as you would have been previously. You will be looking to people you trust for advice.

One of the reasons for this is certain people you have been friends with for a long time will start lying to you, perhaps even try to manipulate you.

Can I trust him?

Not fully.

What will happen in my career?

Expect the overall atmosphere within your work place to remain the same as it always has – negative in-house politics, with the occasional laugh thrown in.

Will I ever find happiness?

Yes, I see you going on holiday with someone special. I also see you working out what it is that you truly want from life. However, there’s no doubt about it, this period of your life is tough. Think of it as a transitional period. These periods in our life are never enjoyable, but oftentimes necessary. They’re necessary to get us to where we’ve got to be.

Remember, the Tarot is fluid, not fixed

If the Tarot was fixed, then a Tarot reading would produce a fixed response to any question. There would also be a fixed method of shuffling the cards, dealing the cards, using only the right spread, interpreting the cards in the ‘correct’ way, and so on. But the Tarot is not fixed, thankfully.

The Tarot is fluid, it provides answers illogically, and it never allows for set methods of interpretation.

Summary

In every Tarot reading I do, I reinterpret the cards. I never stick to the same interpretation. This is a particularly important point.

After I’ve read the cards once, I will immediately reinterpret them. Why? Because the Tarot is fluid and the interpretation is not fixed. I’ll often go back to those very same cards and reinterpret them.

Nothing is true, everything is permitted

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• How to Create Client Profiles and Turbo Charge Your Tarot Study!
• Eon Quiz and Robust approaches to Tarot Readings
• A Simple Method for Interpreting Two Court Cards
• What You Can’t See: Why Focusing On The Cards That Aren’t There Is Important!
• Ten Excellent Tips To Help Recover A Tarot Reading

Throughout the course of this blog, I’ve recommended interpreting the Court Cards primarily as individual people, and not as a reference to psychological states. Although I still think this is absolutely the best way to learn, I want to share with you a very simple approach to interpreting two Court Cards in a Tarot spread.

This is a method that I use all the time, and I’ve found it to be enormously helpful, especially when the combination of other cards makes it difficult to figure out the overall story behind a reading.

In order to make this article as helpful as possible, I want to present the information as a quick tip. In order to do that, I’m going to describe a common scenario for which I’d use this method.

Example Tarot Reading

Imagine that the client is a male, in his thirties, and he’s enquiring after his love life. That’s all we know. We don’t know what state his relationship is in, even if he has one, or what his sexual orientation is. We know nothing beyond the fact that he is a male, and he’s asking after his love life.

Now, imagine that none of the cards make much sense to you, and that the only cards that are grabbing your attention, are Court Cards; unfortunately, the Court Cards don’t tell us much, except that that there are potentially other people involved (always a good sign in a relationship reading).

Let’s say that there are two Court Cards involved in this reading; one of them is the Knight (or Prince) of Disks, and the other is the Knight (or Prince) of Cups. Normally, I would advice that you interpret them as two separate people (or at the very least, as representing the client and one other unique person); or as events that are either approaching or departing. However, because we don’t actually understand what the other cards are indicating, that assessment could end up being a mistake.

Solution

Under these sorts of conditions, I’ll interpret both the Court cards, in this particular example, as belonging to the client. I would (and do so often) make a leap of faith, and state that the client is already with someone (Knight of Disks) but wants to be with someone else (Knight of Cups).

Caution: Only use this technique when your intuition is telling you that this is the most likely scenario. There’s no way to be absolutely certain, it’s not an exact science.

Next, I would then look to the other cards to see if I could find collaborating evidence. For instance, perhaps the Hierophant is present within the reading. In this case, I might conclude that he’s actually married (Knight of Disks), that he’s a traditional kind of guy, but has developed romantic feelings (Knight of Cups) for someone else.

Conclusion – Final Thoughts

Naturally, if I couldn’t support this method of interpretation with the other cards, even loosely, then I’d abandon this method. However, nine out of ten times, I’ve found this method of interpreting Court Cards to be extremely helpful.

Do you use something similar? Is there a system that you use which helps you to confidently predict when Court cards represent the client, or other people? Did you agree, or disagree with my approach? I’d love to hear other peoples thoughts on this. I’ll see you in the comments

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

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• Why Reading Tarot Cards Like A Book Doesn’t Work
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• Study Guide To The Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards
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I’ve declared independence from positional layouts in Tarot spreads.

After more than 10 years of experimenting with hundreds of different Tarot spreads, of creating different spreads with different positional meanings, of trying to figure out why the card that represents the client’s past seems to hint towards their future, of trying to understand if the outcome card is really the outcome card, of confusing myself more than anyone, or anything else, could ever do…I’m done.

It feels so good to say those words! It feels so liberating to finally break free from positional layouts.

I’m done!

I’m done because Tarot spreads create unnecessary confusion, and I’m tired of having doubts. I’m done because despite what other people say, despite what you may have read, despite what apparently makes things easier, Tarot spreads simply counteract the effectiveness of a Tarot reading.

Does life really fall into neat sections? Does life really fall into simple categories? Can we really section someone’s life off so completely as to say, “this one card represents the past, and this one represents work, and this one represents relationships”?

Of course not. Life is far more complicated and subtle than any Tarot spread can accommodate.

Yes, we all have a section of our lives that is devoted to work, and another section devoted to relationships – but don’t the two inform each other? Doesn’t the past hint at the future, and the hopes/fears say something of the past? Don’t relationships in the workplace get equal status as the relationships outside of work?

Modern day lifestyles are far too complex to be adequately covered by a simple positional based layout.

Wait! What is a positional layout?

A positional layout is a Tarot spread that allocates “positions” and assigns those positions with a certain meaning. For example, a three card Tarot spread could be turned into a positional layout by allocating meaning to each position of the three cards. For instance, position one could represent the past, position two could represent the present and position three could represent the future.

Let’s create this example Tarot spread:

• Position one (past): Emperor
• Position two (present): 7 of Swords
• Position three (future): Page of Wands

Interpretation: In the past you were bullied at work; in the present people lie, and steal from you; in the future, you receive a letter that promises an opportunity to change your lifestyle (probably career related).

This is a fairly one dimensional Tarot reading. It doesn’t allow for multiple interpretations of the cards, which, as most of you will be aware of, is vital to the success of any Tarot reading.

Okay, let’s try and read these three cards without the use of positions.

Interpretation: A lack of trust has developed within the father/daughter dynamic of this family.

What’s the difference between the two?

One is very fixed in its approach, while the other is much more fluid, adaptable, and responsive.

One of the major problems with just using a Tarot spread that relies on fixed positions, is that the number of cards used is relatively small.

I regularly read Tarot spreads with more than 20-30 cards laid out in a line, none of which have been allocated a “position”. In my experience, the more cards you use, the more accurate the reading. The less cards you use, the more likely you are to doubt yourself, feel unsure of your interpretation, and also, feel compelled to double check your interpretation next to the one in the books.

Essentially, Tarot spreads that use a positional layout are often limited, and limiting, by the small number of Tarot cards they actually use.

I could go much further into explanations, but I think you get the point.

How I ditched Positional layouts

I’ve actually been experimenting with this over the last couple of years, phasing out positions instead of ditching the Tarot spread altogether. But the transition I’ve made is already well in progress, and I’m going to share with you some of the steps I took in phasing out “positional” layouts in Tarot spreads.

Here’s what to do:

1. Start by doing nothing: The best way to phase out positions from your Tarot spreads is by doing nothing. If you use the Celtic Cross, keep using the Celtic Cross. If you use the Horseshoe Spread, keep using the Horseshoe Spread. The point is not to make drastic changes over night. By using the Tarot spread that you’re most comfortable with, you will be in a much more comfortable position to ditch the positional layout.
2. Read the Tarot spread traditionally: Simply start by reading the Tarot cards as normal; use the positional meanings and make sure that you and the client are connecting and that the reading is going well.
3. Get comfortable: As soon as you feel comfortable, as soon as you feel the reading is going well, as soon as you are ready to take a risk, drop the positional layout completely.
   At this stage, I want you to imagine there are no positional meanings at all. This means, there is no “past” position, no “future” position, no “outcome” position, no “relationships” position, no um, nothing. Now, allow your mind to scan the cards. What can you see now that there’s no limitation, no imposed structure?
4. Look for patterns: Start looking for patterns. How many Trump cards are there? How many court cards are there? How many Pip cards are there? How do they interact without any positions to tell you which part indicates the future, and which part indicates the past?
5. Remember, there can be multiple stories being told: Now that we are free from the constraints of a positional layout, we are free to trust our intuition. At this stage, allow your intuition to flow, you may be surprised at the multiple story lines you are able to interpret.
6. Fear: If you get worried or nervous that you are losing your connection to the client, simply reapply the positions to your Tarot reading. That way, when things go wrong, you have a back up plan; a way to help you to re-establish a connection with your client.
7. Use Elemental Dignities: One of the best techniques that I know of to help you read Tarot cards without having to rely on a positional layout, is Elemental Dignities. This technique works for two reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t depend on positions and secondly, it will teach you how irrelevant the Divinatory Definitions can be.
8. Look at the direction the Tarot cards face: Another useful tip is to look at the direction the Tarot cards face. Does one card look like it’s moving towards another? Does a Court card look isolated? Does a card look like it’s trying to keep their eye on another card? Are they successful? How does this alter the dynamics of the Tarot reading?

I think those steps should help you break out of reading the Tarot using a positional based layout. The most important aspect of it is to remain with your favourite Tarot spread, and to switch back and forth between using the positional layout and using nothing but your intuition.

Will it work for everyone? Perhaps not in the short term (although everyone can do it – sometimes we have to take things slowly to allow our confidence to grow). If this sounds like you, don’t worry. Apply the above tips very gradually and don’t rush things. Relax, and enjoy the process and eventually it will all click into place.

How was I able to ditch positions?

I’m always open to experimentation, to try something new, to take a risk, to contradict myself and to allow myself to remain open to “possibilities”. For me, ditching positional layouts is all about realigning how I read Tarot cards to how I see life. I don’t see life as simple, easily compartmentalised, easily categorised, easily sectioned. I see it as something dynamic, flowing, unpredictable – where each element affects the whole. I simply don’t think that positional layouts accomplish this.

Where do we go from here?

Experiment with using positional and non-positional Tarot spreads.

Personally, I find non-positional spreads work the best. I don’t feel so constrained to read in a certain way, nor do I suffer the usual amounts of self-doubt that often accompany a positional based spread.

I suspect that self doubt arises, to a large extent, from the privileging of Divinatory Definitions as the primary method of interpretation. Not only is this simply not true, but it’s also the number one reason people suffer from issues of confidence.

Summary

Start by using the Tarot spread that you are most comfortable with. Gently start to interpret the cards without using the associated positions and gradually build things up from there. If, at any point, you need to use the positions, please do so. Part of the transition from positional to non-positional spreads is to remain with the Tarot spread you’re most comfortable with.

I already do this. Whats the next step?

The next step would be to abandon the Tarot spread completely. Instead, deal out the cards in a linear formation. I would recommend gradually increasing the amount of Tarot cards you’re using; aim for around 20/30 cards. By increasing the amount of Tarot cards you use, the more accurate the Tarot reading will become.

Do you agree with what I’ve written? Do you find positional layouts to be confusing? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article. I’ll see you in the comments.

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