*Card Selecting" what works best?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kazz	09 May 2002
hi all, this question has probably been asked before but i am new to this forum so ""humour me"" ;) :D i have been wondering about the selection of the cards before you commence the "reading". i have fanned the cards out then the client/myself selects the amount of cards desired for that spread (the 1st card selected being the 1st laid out etc.) i have also cut the cards into 3 piles (from right to left) then the same way put each pile back on top of each other then of course commence the spread by dealing the cards from the top. is there any different ways? or which way is best (i guess it depends on the spread) ? Cheers Kazz :TQC

Rhiannon	09 May 2002
For tarot I usually shuffle, then deal from the top of the deck. But for my oracle cards I will just spread them out all over and then pick the cards I want. I guess it depends on what you feel like doing for that particular reading. No way is the wrong way! Rhiannon :)

zorya	09 May 2002
Quote: [i] Originally posted by Kazz [/i i have also cut the cards into 3 piles (from right to left) then the same way put each pile back on top of each other then of course commence the spread by dealing the cards from the top. :tqc [/b] always worked for me! but i suspect that there are many other ways, that work equally well. if one particular way doesn't feel better than the others, you could try; asking the deck with a 3 card spread. 1. way a. 2. other 3.way b. or; alternate, and keep a journal, which one rang truest?

Phoenix	10 May 2002
I just shuffle the deck until it feels ready, them I flip it so when I am holding it in my left hand, the top of the cards are pointing to me. Then I just pick the cards off the top, but I flip them so that they come up the right way.

kayne	11 May 2002
I'm a fan of fanning. :D I don't fan the cards out too much though... the quarent has to kinda' move some cards aside to choose the one they want. I usually tell the quarent the meaning of the position as they are choosing the card too. I always find this works well.

Emily	11 May 2002
When I give the cards a really good shuffle, I shuffle then deal them out into 5 piles, join the deck back together, give another shuffle, repeating the question either outloud or silently then take the cards off the top of the deck. The deck is held in my right hand and I take and lay the cards with my left. I don't flip them I turn them because, my opinion, to flip would be to reverse. :)

phoenixinspirit	11 May 2002
In Tarot, there is no wrong way to shuffle because what ever spread or card you pick will be the right one. It is based on the idea of synchronisity that all is connected in the moment and that means the cards the spread or questioner, the reader, all of the circumstances and all those who are connected with the situation that is being posed or questioned. But for all practical reasons, what I do is shuffle three times, past present and future and then make three piles 1, 2, and 3 and ask the querent if I am doing it on line or the person is not there which pile or number she/he wants and if the person is there, then have then shuffle until they are ready to cut the deck into three piles and select which one they want to use. Depending on which one they choose gives a hint to the order in the sense of timing of events past, present or future. Remember the cards are only tools and they are always approbriate for the moment. The rest is based on the intuition, the impressions you receive from the intuitive mind or the psychic atmosphere surrounding the reading.

The *Card Selecting" what works best? thread was originally posted on 09 May 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.