Tarot Rituals...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Mr. Sluagh	28 Aug 2003
What sorts of "rituals" do you go about when doing Tarot spreads? Do you think of them as religious, superstitious or just OCD? Just curious. Personally, when I'm doing spreads for divination (I don't bother when I'm just using the Tarot to help spark my creativity) I like to put the cards in order with the suites in order of their seasonal associations (Wands for Spring, Pentacles for Summer, Cups for Autumn, and then Swords for Winter) followed by the Majors and then shuffle them thirteen times while concentrating on recent events in my life. I don't really think about my reasons for this (I'm kind of a gumby on the subject of the real nature of the Tarot), but my readings do seem to tend to be more accurate when I do this. What about you?

matfav	28 Aug 2003
I see wands for summer Swords for fall Pentacles for spring Cups for winter

divinerguy	28 Aug 2003
My ritual consists of simplicity. I find great comfort in minimalism in many things, especially the aesthetic, into which category I place Tarot. I do the minimum necessary when doing a reading. Just a moment to center myself, and then I'm off into the reading.

Umbrae	28 Aug 2003
I am 'with' Divinerguy here... Also, I have never ever reset any of my decks into their original order. Each deck contains all of its shuffles, and all of its readings...seems to work just fine...

RedWood	28 Aug 2003
I am with divinerguy and Umbrae..I just shuffle and go for it. Half the time I dont even have postions set. Or know how many cards I will use. Heck I dont even know the "meanings" of the cards. Just the pics tell me so.. Easier the better for me.

Logiatrix	28 Aug 2003
I don't do rituals, either, outside of keeping my decks well dressed--because it's fun. Other than that, I just keep it simple. :)

Scarletpeaches	29 Aug 2003
Each deck contains all of its shuffles, and all of its readings...seems to work just fine... Good point. I always deal the deck into 7 piles, then put it all back together and shuffle 7 times, but at the end of the day I have a tendency to put all 78 cards back into their 'correct' order but have never looked at it this way before. That quote (what's the word?) 'resonates' with me, so I'll stop being so regimental with the order of my cards!

wavebreaker	29 Aug 2003
I shuffle the cards while focussing on the question, cut them in three piles, put the piles back together (middle one first, then the left one and then the right one) and then deal from the top. That's how I started doing it (probably because I read it somewhere when I first started) and I've been doing it ever since. Not because I think it has some special meaning or improves the reading or anything; doing it this way has simply become a habit... ;) The only time I put a deck back in order is when I want to study it, to make it easier to find specific cards, or when I've traded the deck, to check whether all the cards are there and because I think it's nicer to give someone an ordered deck. ;)

Emily	29 Aug 2003
I usually shuffle the deck to start with, then deal into 6 little piles, combine the piles and shuffle again, thinking of my question as I do this. I shuffle until I feel ready to do the reading. Sometimes I light a candle but not always, but I do like to concentrate on the spread so I like a peaceful place :)

WolfSpirit	29 Aug 2003
For my daily spread I often just shuffle the deck until it feels right, then fan the cards and pick three. But when I do a bigger spread or find it hard to leave the daily worries behind I first balance and centre, light a candle and use a spreadcloth. Especially when I have been working or otherwise cluttered up the room, then I want to create a little special space for the cards.

Elle	29 Aug 2003
I do it the same way as TarotLady, only that there is no order as to which of the three piles gets put on top of the other first. Warmest, Elle

Shadow Wolf	01 Sep 2003
If I'm reading for someone else, I have them tell me when to stop shuffling, and then they cut the cards into three piles and I gather them up and proceed. I think focusing too much on persona ritual, infuses the cards with more of your energy,which could blur a reading for someone else !!! Just my 2 cents worth!!!!

The Tarot Rituals... thread was originally posted on 28 Aug 2003 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.