Stripping

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Osher	20 Feb 2004
I think part of my problem with Tarot now is that I have become jaded with my spreads. I am thinking of stripping back, going back to one card spreads, and then building up again. Do others also sometimes strip back to the bare wood, and then restart? If so, how did you do it?

13thFaeChylde	20 Feb 2004
I just have to laugh....because the titles of your posts make me think naughty thoughts ;) Stripping....then there was the top or bottom one...and another one I can't think of at the moment.

Osher	20 Feb 2004
Talking Tarot Top or Bottom Yes, I deliberatly use interesting titles, I'm glad it pleases! However, it is serious subject, that of stripping out the deadwood.

Chronata	20 Feb 2004
This happens to me occasionally. Sometimes I just get bogged down by the images...or by the spread itself (too many cards in too many positions...) Often I will take a break from working with or studying the tarot, and get back to it later. Sometimes it does help to just use a daily draw...or even a weekly draw can be better...of one card, and focus completely on everything that is there. There is a lot to be said for a single card...or a single image. But then, I tend to use heavily art-intensive decks in the RWS style. The last time this happened to me...and I got really burnt out by the images, I ended up taking out my blank deck, and did a scrying sort of reading... although I have to admit it didn't work the way it probably should have...because I still kept getting RWS images in my head...even from the blank cards!

ros	20 Feb 2004
I think this is information overload. Sometimes I just have to not think about what I learn & stop studying to let everything settle. Just do what I know & then the extra knowledge makes sense when you walk away. Mabee it's like looking at a picture. You can't see the one thing that everyone else sees & then you walk away & go back a day later & there it is. We focus too much sometimes or are to serious. They we have to go back to when we kept things simple & build again with new awareness.

Centaur	20 Feb 2004
Yes! Your post titles have very suggestive names: the kind of names which make you want to click just to see what they could refer to. Haha. LOL. I like the stripping one though: I think that it surpasses all that has gone before. With regards to the question at hand, whenever I feel that I have become too absorbed in the cards or too jaded with my spreads, I just take a break for some time. I might just focus on one card every now and then... read over my books... sort of read all the basics again, and all the information connected to one card. I always find that there might be something I have missed or forgotten about, and I think this re-reading of the information only leads to a more enriched tarot experience. Oh, and I might change my spreads too. I tend to get peeved off if I use the same spread too much. The only spread I never seem to get peeved off with is the particular CC that I use. C PS. I am wondering what your next thread title will be: perhaps 'Table-Dancing' or something along those lines? :)

Aerten	20 Feb 2004
I definitely thought that was going to refer to some sort of kinky combination of strip poker and tarot... I'm not dirty minded, I swear. :P But your intended subject merits a response because I know exactly what you mean :) I'm reading with playing cards now, so I don't get caught up in esoteric symbolism which I only vaguely understand. My readings are much clearer!

Imagemaker	20 Feb 2004
Quote: I'm reading with playing cards now, I've wanted to try this. Since there are only 3 court cards and no major arcana, do you make allowances, or just read with them as is?

Aerten	20 Feb 2004
Eh, I just read them as they are. What I find with the major arcana anyway is that it is rarely applicable to my everyday life... the cards therein paint a much bigger picture which is useful for medition and contemplation, but not mundane ordinary questions :) Hence, playing cards are perfect for me.

Imagemaker	20 Feb 2004
Do you equate the jack to the knight? I'm not good with non-scenic pips (especially with no budding flowers or cups of water), but I can always connect the RWS image to the the cards, I suppose. Off to try it out.

Emily	21 Feb 2004
I also came in out of curiosity lol - thought it was going to refer to using tarot in the nude :D lol I get back to basics by changing my spreads, last time I had a big change I found a CC spread that I could use. I've stayed away from the CC because sometimes its hard work trying to make the spread flow from card to card and the reading can end up all over the place. But with a modern version its an easy spread to use and understand. Also it might help to use another deck for a while, just to see fresh images and get new ideas on the meanings. :)

Aerten	21 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Imagemaker Do you equate the jack to the knight? Usually neither -- the jack is a fellow unto himself. :)

Simone	21 Feb 2004
I think we all fell for your title, Happiness :D to strip seems to ring a bell }) But seriously, now: as I re-invent my spreads for every reading, I never clutter myself with "too many cards in too many positions" (to quote Chronata). Anyway, big spreads with a lot of cards have never appealed to me, hence no need to cut back ... Light and love Simone

Imagemaker	21 Feb 2004
Quote: Usually neither -- the jack is a fellow unto himself. :) I get it--just say what comes to mind in the moment of viewing. I DO think it's the best way of reading the cards, or the tree leaves, or the socks in my drawer :)

full deck	22 Feb 2004
I get up on the table and strip after an intense session or every time I pull a devil card. Seriously, moving back to doing one to three card spreads is a very good idea. I use small spreads like this and usually don't know how many I will pull if I'm doing what I call "open readings" where I just pick the question, fan the deck out on a low, broad table (much like the magician's table) and visualize how many cards, what position, etc. and pull from the deck as per the visualization. It is a good way to put accent upon one's intuition and visualization and is quite useful for me. I try to allow the reading to take its own form and not worry about doing a ten-card spread or a certain ritual.

The Stripping thread was originally posted on 20 Feb 2004 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.