Doing readings outdoors

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

Trogon	09 Oct 2002
This is a question on, essentially, mechanics (for want of a better term). I've seen some posts earlier on, which spoke of people doing readings outdoors (on the beach, in a park, etc) and I have a question for those of you who regularly do this: How do you deal with the wind? I have done a couple of readings outside and even a relatively light breeze will give me trouble - blowing the cards around. What do you folks do to contend with this?

catlin	09 Oct 2002
I usually carry some gems or at least normal stones with me to place on top of the cards. Works great!

cjtarot	09 Oct 2002
Hi, I'm not big on protocal right now..so for windy days..(light windy days)..We laugh and ask everyone around to hold the cards down.. I try to keep reading fun and informative.. The one thing I do DO is never put my cards down on a dirty surface. I have a black (I don't get distracted by patterns on the material) velvet spread cloth for that.. Cj PS the crystals sound like a wonderful idea..

wavebreaker	09 Oct 2002
Another thing to think of: the sun. A while ago, I took my cards with me into the garden, to study them. I left them on the table for an hour or so, in the sun, and the cards got bent by the warmth of the sun. I managed to get them "flat" again by putting them under heavy books for days, but I'll never take my cards into the sun again! ;)

evangelion	09 Oct 2002
I have a little pouch full of quartz stones that I place on top. That seems to work fairly well. Also my friend uses these little colored glass beads, about the size of a nickel, maybe a 1/4 inch thick that he gets at a local flower shop. I love outdoor readings! I hope you start having better luck w/the weather :)

Teranar	09 Oct 2002
Don't be so vain about your cards, tarotlady, my cards look like they were left in all weather for a week and they feel better the worse they get. When I read outside I read in my creek, and the forest comes to watch. I've had skunks, opossums, wild cats, squirrels, and rabbits walk close enough to me to pet them dispite the fact they're wild and run at the very sight of people other than me. I have some glass beads, I'll try the placing them on the cards in the wild thing!

ladycj	10 Oct 2002
What a great idea. I've avoided doing readings on windy days, but that will change. :)

wavebreaker	10 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Teranar Don't be so vain about your cards, tarotlady, my cards look like they were left in all weather for a week and they feel better the worse they get. Me, vain?? You obviously don't know me... I don't care what you do with your cards, I'm just careful with a deck of cards that's not exactly cheap. And on the practical side: I've found that bent cards are very difficult to shuffle.

Major Tom	10 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tarotlady I'm just careful with a deck of cards that's not exactly cheap. A very practical approach indeed! Especially after having cards damaged to the point you felt they needed rescue... There is much to be said for reading outdoors and I think a stout deck is one of the things to say. :) I have no problem taking my Spiral outdoors - very stout cards with a plastic coating. There's no way I'd take my Mountain Dream outside. })

juice	10 Oct 2002
OOhhhh. Take a jar of pente ( those glass) beads or river rocks with you and ask the querant to place one on a card as you lay it down. Might help keep them from chatting with their friend while you deal. Focused on the issue and involved at least. I had been wondering if rune stones might be good bit of additional backup sometimes. I doubt they will be damaged by people who don't care how much your cards cost. Do you think bottle caps would weigh enough to keep cards from blowing? All you would have to decide is if you'll look under the rock to see what rune they used.

catlin	10 Oct 2002
Yep, I also have some all day all purpose all cirumstances decks and some precious ones which shall NEVER be used outside.

Trogon	11 Oct 2002
What great ideas everyone! Thank you all so very much! I guess I'll be having to make a trip to you my local new-age shop for tumble-polished stones. Quartz or amethyst would be good, but I'm thinking hematite for a couple of reasons. Hematite is great for getting rid of negative energies - and - it has a higher specific gravity (it's heavy). Besides, I like hematite. :D Quote: Originally posted by juice Do you think bottle caps would weigh enough to keep cards from blowing? Juice... I don't think bottle caps would be heavy enough to work for this... unless you filled them with lead... ;) Obviously these will all only work with relatively light winds.... I suppose I could get some bricks for doing readings during a force 10 gale... })

Bings	11 Oct 2002
I love some of these ideas. They are wonderful. Almost all my readings are done outside. When ever I'm asked to do a reading I just naturally pick up my cards and say "Lets go outside." When it is windy I usually ask the person I'm reading for to help hold the cards in place. If others are around sometimes they naturally want to help and I just very politely decline their offer. If the person I'm reading for has to help hold the cards sometime they will make the effort to look more closely at the cards and understand better where I am coming from. I took my cards on a trip with me a few weeks ago. We were camping overnight and it was a full moon. The day had been rainy and although the rain had stopped the air was still very damp. I read cards outside on a picnic table that we laid a cloth over. After a few readings I could see that they were starting to curl up and warp at the corners very slightly. They are fine now with no signs of warping but now I know that in the future to keep them indoors when the weather is damp. Dianne

Ivy Rhiannon	02 Jul 2004
um...i've never read outdoors! what have I been missing out on?

WolfSpirit	04 Jul 2004
Reading outdoors is not a "must"... For myself, I often feel most at ease when I am on a long walk, so it is natural for me to take a deck with me because I may just be in the right mood to do a reading. I don't read everywhere, I don't need total quiet but I would not, for instance, do it on a crowded beach. I suppose if you like the outdoors you might like reading outdoors too.

The Doing readings outdoors thread was originally posted on 09 Oct 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.