Table Shapes

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Dark Inquisitor	20 Oct 2002
For a long time now, nowhere in the house has felt comfortable to read. There was a sense of something not right. I just got a round kitchen table, and I when I tried reading on it, there was a very good feeling. Like at last this was the right shape of table to have. It felt very natural & at home, - familiar somehow. (All the other tables in the house have been square or rectangular . ) I was wondering if anyone else has thoughts on table shapes. I don't think the shape of the table would affect the accuracy of the cards. I think it may have something to do with the circle shape . It is the traditional seance table shape, and I wonder if it might be better for energy flow between querent & reader, or just better energy in general. Tarotphelia

zorya	20 Oct 2002
i prefer round tables in general, not just for reading the cards. i find them a much more nurturing shape. no hard sharp edges and corners. friendly, comfortable. lol. then think about all the symbolism of the shape itself. eternity, no beginning, no end. movement. equality (think king arthur), cycles of all kinds. the shape of the sun, earth, moon etc... we cast circles to create a sacred space.

RedWood	20 Oct 2002
I like our octagon table..each edge is rounded..it is not so round that i cant get things in the middle of the table..now square for teh sharp corners...It is a great table...

DarkElectric	21 Oct 2002
I really like round tables to read on! I think that for one thing, it makes the reading easier to see, and therefore, more personal. When I read for somebody, I like to have them be able to see the cards too, so they can observe the spread, and the relationships between the cards. I try to get the querent to actively participate in their reading. Round tables facilitate this more comfortably. And, with a cool reading cloth, they drape beautifully.

bellaluna	21 Oct 2002
I have a rectangle table. It has been great for readings.Very intimate setting. It is a little 2 seater. bellaluna

catlin	21 Oct 2002
My table is a rectangular one with tiles on it which you can vary in high and size. It is very practical as I like huge spreads. Besides, I can also use it for ritual work as the tiling is easy to clean and is resistant to hot embers when I do smudging.

Demonesse	21 Oct 2002
This certainly is a different sort of thread! I don't mind the shape of the table per se, but it has to be a wooden table, not glass-topped, marble or plastic (ugh). I don't even need a table - I sometimes do readings on my comfy rug :)

Kiama	21 Oct 2002
I prefer roundntables, mainly because of their practicality: I find that the queren can sit next to me but in a comfortable way, and see the cards as I am seeing them, but not have to squeexe into a tiny gap left by a square table, or sit by a jagged corner of a rectangulart able... Tho I don't find it affects the accuracy of the cards... But like I said in a different thread somewere, I can read anywhere, so maybe I'm not the best person to comment! Kiama

MeeWah	21 Oct 2002
Some years ago, I used a large, heavy, rectangular wood dining table in the kitchen on which I did my readings. The table was from a diningroom that was turned into a bedroom for an older son. It was great for projects & entertaining but not comfortable for readings. I discarded it for a small round table & it feels much better; even the kitchen feels better :)

Zhritza	21 Oct 2002
I like reading on the floor best, actually :)

anjocoxo	22 Oct 2002
Do you know why most people prefer round shapes? It is a very simple rule, used by feng shui, that advises you not to have sharp tables because "there aren't any sharp shapes in nature!" if you check, there are no squares/rectangules in nature... so people sometimes feel more atracted to round shapes. just a though... Ana

Demonesse	22 Oct 2002
You're quite right actually. Square tables are not encouraged in feng shui - round tables are supposed to let the energy "flow" smoothly as well as bring prosperity :)

Talisman	22 Oct 2002
'Lo all, I shouldn't be here at all, since I don't read for others, but I love it when things like this turn up on Aeclectic. I like the story Rachael Pollock told in "78 Degrees . . ." about reading Tarot in tents while touring France. I like spreading a blue bandanna on the floor of a trapper's log cabin in Alaska and laying out my cards by candle light. I like writing in a laundramat in a small town somewhere on the road, but I never layed out my cards there. And, alas, I like all the threatrical stuff you sometimes see when Tarot is sometimes featured in a TV program. (almost always silly) Sorry to interrupt an interesting thread. Talisman

Melvis	22 Oct 2002
Hehehe! I just knew that blue bandana would turn up again, Talisman! ;) Most of my readings for others are done at their houses at various parties and gatherings, so I usually end up reading on the floor or on a coffee table! At home I have a small square coffee table on which I have a round (!) glass tabletop...just the right size for most readings. For extra large readings, I always seem to end up on the floor. Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Eyes of Night	23 Oct 2002
I always do readings on my bed, since I only read for my self. I feel more comfortable on my bed, because it's were I spend lots of time (reading, doing homework, talking on the phone). I actually don't have a round table, and I hate doing spreads on my dinning table (it feels to big).

Umbrae	24 Oct 2002
Airline tables! It makes spreads useless. But the intimacy...is wonderful...and folks tend to be 'open' on planes. A three card spread can get you from Seattle to Denver with no problem. A seven card spread will take you to Kansas City.

The Table Shapes thread was originally posted on 20 Oct 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.