After Seasoning the Deck...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

New2Tarot	30 Aug 2001
Hey guys, Yesterday I was working through the Complete Idiot's Guide to Tarot & Fortune-Telling, and I arrived at the section about seasoning your deck. I put the cards from each suit upright in their own respective piles. Then, I seasoned each pile, and collected them together. I shuffled them about 10 times and then realized that when I went to do a reading all of my cards came up reversed. (Because I had intitially organized them all upright). So this leads me to two questions... 1) When you have the deck of cards in your left hand and begin to draw cards with your right hand, you take the card from the top, picking it up from the bottom and flip it over vertically so the card is face-up, right?? 2) When you season the cards, are you supposed to organize them all upright? Lastly, critique my shuffling method. I take the entire deck at the bottom (vertically) with my right hand, and fan through the deck at the top of the cards with my left thumb until roughly half-way through the deck. I then take the half of the deck that I have gripped with my left hand, flip it over so both halves have the back design of the cards facing up, and proceed to "riffle" (as it was referred to in another thread).. except without the "bridge" part because the cards are either too big, or too new for them to bend enough for that. I do this a few times and then I either cut the deck into three piles, and draw one card from each, or cut the deck and then shuffle 2 more times, or just draw three cards from the top of the deck ... for a three card spread, for argument's sake. Is that method of shuffling alright, or do you use a more effective one?? Thanks, New2Tarot

Rhiannon	30 Aug 2001
I sometimes to through my cards looking at each one and when I do that I turn them all upright. When I'm done I divide them in half and flip one pile so it will be reversed, then I shuffle them again. That way some cards will be reversed and some upright. This works well for me since I use reversed meanings, however if you don't then I guess it doesn't matter which way the cards are facing. ;) When I'm laying out the cards I pull from the top of the deck and instead of flipping them over like you were talking about I turn them from left to right like a book. As far as shuffling goes, you do what you feel works best for you. I am not a lacer, I'm a riffler. I know that it wears the cards down a bit, but I just don't feel like they're well mixed if I don't do it. And for some reason I almost always shuffle 3 times before pulling my 3 daily cards. But for a Celtic Cross spread I end up shuffling more, until I get that "centered" feeling. Just my $0.02 worth. You know, if we took all the 2 cents worth on this board and added it up we could probably buy at least one lottery ticket....Who wants to do a reading on what numbers we should pick? JUST KIDDING! SORRY!!!! I couldn't help myself. :D Rhiannon :)

EveAnna	30 Aug 2001
Hi New2Tarot, You should really get used to turning your drawn cards over like turning the page of a book - if you start flipping them now as a newbie it'll be a hard habit to break. Also, even though I'm right handed, I hold the deck in my right hand and draw with my left, again its just habit. But these are just my habits :) as you get used to your deck you'll find your own :)

linenoise	30 Aug 2001
Humm flipping vs. page flapping. Hehe I let the deck face me and just lay them down directly. But then I'm a fool ;-)

New2Tarot	31 Aug 2001
See, that was one of my concerns. I flip the cards the way I do, because basically that's the way Miss Cleo does it on her infomercials, and I've never seen a tarot reader in action and the books that I have have never mentioned proper methods. I assumed that's the way it should be done.. but I did think to myself a few times "Did I just reverse a reversed card?" when I flip vertically. The only specifics that only one of my three books speaks of is drawing cards with the right hand and holding the deck with the left. What's your input?? I appreciate this all, you are all helpful. I can't say the same for the people who post at alt.tarot. LOL ;) Later, New2Tarot

magnwa	31 Aug 2001
Input #1. Forget about Miss Cleo. Input #2: Check out the little Ebook thingie on www.ata-tarot.com , and pay particular attention to what a good mentor does and does not tell you. Input #3: Tarot cards are pieces of paper , inked and painted on by a four color (often) machine printing process, then cut into 78 equal sized parts. These are then shoved into a little box with a (sometimes) horribly written little booklet that never really helps much, and mailed to thousands of people around the world. You are making things far more difficult than they need to be :) Magnwa

New2Tarot	31 Aug 2001
Yes, I know Miss Cleo doesn't dictate what tarot should be, but I have read on other websites that the "old school" way of flipping the cards is vertically, while the "new school" way is left to right horizontally. What I'm confused about is why so many people refer to it as an inner-self actualization tool instead of a prophetic tool.. I approach Tarot with the belief that the cards are prophetic, and not just reflective of things we already know, but don't know consciously. And that argument seems contradictory when cards represent time frames for future events, or positions in spreads that represent "future or likely outcome" -- we can't know that; even subconsiously. I'm just disappointed by all of the books that say it's all about our inner, subconsious self.. and that the cards don't predict things. Because when I've gotten my cards read at parties and such, the cards were prophetic. Later, New2Tarot

Yarnie	31 Aug 2001
New2: First of all, to believe that tarot is prophetic is to contend that the future is set in stone. To believe that the future is set in stone is to forego the entire concept of free will. Each of us has free will and that makes the future fluid and, thus, changeable. If, in the past, you have found the tarot to be prophetic, I would suggest that it is because YOU have made choices that have made it so. Magnwa put it in the X-ring when stating what tarot cards really are (see above in "Input #3"). There is nothing mystical or magical or powerful about the cards in and of themselves. Only you, the reader, can make them so--and that takes practice...with an open mind. Just like exercise, you will only get out of it what you put into it.

Rhiannon	31 Aug 2001
New2: Ok, I'm going to try to say this succinctly but bear with me in case I digress... When I've read for people they usually ask questions to which they already know the answers. Sound weird? Not really. People want confirmation. The questions I get most often are relationship/love questions. The querent and I discuss everything and we usually ask "What will happen if I continue on this path with so-and-so?" The usually know whether or not the person is good for them, they just want somebody (or in this case some THING) to tell them so out loud. Sometimes my readings are more like therapy sessions. :D I don't look upon the cards as prophetic even though they sometimes SEEM that way. They can give you advice about the future, but you are the one who ultimately has the control. You are the one who makes the decision whether or not to heed that advice. You are the master of your own destiny! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *blushes* sorry got carried away there. As far as flipping the cards vertically and shuffling and stuff. You do what you're comfy with. I like holding them in my left hand and flipping them like a book. If you don't then that's fine. Do what feels right for you. In that sense the books are right. ;) Good luck, Rhiannon :)

tarotbear	31 Aug 2001
I discuss this all the time, and have done it on the forum at least twice! I always 'flip the cards' by turning them side-to-side, not end over end. If you have the deck set with the cards upright and flip them end-over-end- the card will end up reversed. I also shuffle the cards ( discussed many times) so that I DO NOt get reversed cards. I do not read reversed cards; however, when you do readings for others they usually inadvertantly reveerse cards, so I read them that way. If you want my explanation for shuffling without getting reversals, just send me an email and I'll pull it up off my disk.

EveAnna	31 Aug 2001
Hi New2Tarot, Tarot cards are tools, they give advice and comment on your future, but you don't have to take their advice. Is it just the one book your learning from? As a newbie its best to try and read as many tarot books as you can - they'll all probably give you different meanings for your cards - but in the end it'll help you in realising what each card means to you. Also I draw cards with my left hand because its the one nearest to my heart, it is habit but i feel comfortable doing this - I've been reading playing cards for longer than the Tarot and this is one of my playing cards habits :)

New2Tarot	31 Aug 2001
I have three books, but only 2 that I'm actually reading now. I finished Tarot: Plain & Simple and it was an absolute waste of 24 dollars and my time to read it. I didn't learn much from it and the explanations of the cards were pretty monotonous. Later, New2Tarot

EveAnna	31 Aug 2001
I usually get my books from the library then take notes from them. I only own about 4 books and use them all as reference guides. Have you had a look at Joan Bunnings site yet? I'm also using her book, which I can't remember the name of lol . Learning the Tarot is like a circle, it never ends - you just get better and more experienced at it :)

Mojo	31 Aug 2001
New2Tarot If you are not going to pay attention to the answers given, why are you asking the questions? You are wasting the time and efforts of these very kind people. If you think Miss Cleo is the be-all and end-all about Tarot, then I suggest you call her 900 line and spend your life savings talking to her. Maybe she can tell you what you want to hear. On second thought, just give me your credit card number and I'll be happy to tell you whatever you want to hear, too. Otherwise, learn to have some patience and you will learn Tarot just like the rest of us did - slowly over time.

Talisman	31 Aug 2001
Mojo, What'da'ya mean about time and patience? Good grief! When I first was introduced to tarot, I recken I knew all the know all the know there was to know about tarot. Supposin' the subject was quantum mechanics, physics, instead of tarot. Do you think I would actually have to read about it to understand it? That I would actually have to do any homework? Let me tell you, that at parties, I can absolutely amaze people by telling them about the random action of particles. Good grief! Mojo, you make it sound like people have to read a book, or think, or something. Just buy a tarot deck, touch it, and you're home free. Good grief! Talisman

Yarnie	31 Aug 2001
Quote: talisman (01 Sep, 2001 04:29): Good grief! Mojo, you make it sound like people have to read a book, or think, or something. Just buy a tarot deck, touch it, and you're home free. Good grief! Talisman Heh, heh, heh.... Amazingly enough, some people do think its that easy.

Jimilyn	01 Sep 2001
Uh, oh! You mean I have to read, study, *and* think????!!!! :D :p :D :p :D :P :D Jimilyn

The After Seasoning the Deck... thread was originally posted on 30 Aug 2001 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.