How often should one read?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Fairchild	10 Apr 2002
Hi, everybody! Just wondering, but how often do most people read their cards? I know some people read daily, but could you do a reading once a week? or is it one's preference? I'm still waiting for my Cloisters deck to start my lessons. On a whim last night, I did a 3 card spread (using Tarot Art Nouveau deck) with no particular question in mind, actually I just wanted to see what cards I would pick out. I know that the deck I was using may not be the best to work with, but after consulting the LWB, the cards basically summarised my past week: the problem, the action taken to achieve solution, and what feelings were had after the action was done. Do some readings tell of what a person's life was like within a given week? Sorry to ask so many questions, just doing some pondering... Thanks for your replies, Fairchild

Tarotbear 2	10 Apr 2002
It depends on what you are doing, and what you are asking. Many of us do a one-card-a-day reading for ourselves to get a perspective on 'that day'. If you were to do a 10-card Celtic Cross every single day to ask 'What's in store for me today?' it would get ponderous. If you have an issue, someone on this forum once suggested that you do NOT ask the question again for the number of days that there were cards in the spread; thus if you did a Celtic Cross, you should not ask the same question for at least 10 days. That sounds contrived, but it makes guidelines to follow. One trap NOT to fall into is asking the same question over and over, as though you didn't like the first answer and are seeking a better one; your cards will get tired of answering the question ("What? Didn't I explain this to you already?") and start to get contrary. In reality, if you are asking a different question each time, there is nothing wrong with doing a reading once a day.

Original Destiny	10 Apr 2002
HI Fairchild, I only do personal readings when I have exausted all other possibilities.In a way i am a bit of a control freak..I like to have as much influence as possible over my life and my actions...Sometimes I am at a loss, that is when I look at the cards...I'm not proposing this as a way for everyone...this is my way...So I suppose I don't do many personal readings:TFOOL It is up to you to experiment i suppose...you might find that the cards will tell you in some way. :TWOR

Phoenix	10 Apr 2002
For myself, I will only read if necessary, and I will read for others when they ask. I usually know when they are serious about a reading or not.

Emily	11 Apr 2002
I read for myself about once a week, I don't read for other people very often, but my cards are always around, I sit and look through them during the day or pull a card out to study during the day :)

fairyhedgehog	11 Apr 2002
I do a three card spread most days, but not for predicting, for thinking around issues. So my cards are 3 Advice from 'above' (my higher self, or whatever.) 1 Theme of the day 2 what's going on under the surface (or in my subconscious) Quite often I leave it till the end of the day, and look back on the day with those thoughts in mind. Personally, I find that the more playfully I approach the cards, the more use they are to me. I know some people find the exact opposite. (edited for spelling error)

The How often should one read? thread was originally posted on 10 Apr 2002 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.