Reading with only Majors

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Jen	14 Sep 2003
Hi Guys - Sorry if there's already a thread on this one. I searched but didn't find much. Does anyone do readings on a regular basis using just the Majors? I don't recall if I've ever tried it and I may be getting a "majors only" deck. I'm wondering how your reading's differed from full-deck readings and if you felt they were as good. Do you use a special spread when reading only majors? TIA

oceanpoetry	14 Sep 2003
I haven't tried this myself yet, but I know some here at AT recommend using Majors only if it is extremely important life issue you are asking about. I have come across the reading option of using Major Arcana and the four Aces only, which sounds intriguing - I would like to give this a try soon.

Diana	14 Sep 2003
I do tons of my readings with Majors only. And in Switzerland and France, most of the tarologues I know only use Majors. The Majors can tell you anything and everything. Try it.... you'll be surprised.

Major Tom	14 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Diana The Majors can tell you anything and everything. Try it.... you'll be surprised. My friend Diana and I have this in common. I read with just the majors for more than 20 years. It wasn't until I came to Aeclectic that I started reading with a whole deck. :laugh: Reading with just the majors provides a more intense experience for both the reader and the querent.

Melvis	14 Sep 2003
Aha! So there's another reason you're called "Major Tom", eh? :D I do Majors-only readings when I don't have a specific question and just want a general reading. It allows all the major factors in one's life to interact without dwelling on specific acts or events, in my opinion. Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Nevada	14 Sep 2003
Those of you who regularly use Majors only. Do you use large or small spreads, and if you use both, which do you think is better for Majors only? I'm just thinking that this could be so intense as to be a little overwhelming.

Diana	14 Sep 2003
Rhiannon/nevada: 22 cards maximum! :D (I'm serious.) Give it a try. With a small spread or a large spread. The answers are not too intense. They give you the insight you need. Sometimes then you can use the minors to fine-tune your reading if you want to. But normally, I don't need to because the cards surrounding the card I ponder about give me the answer.

firemaiden	14 Sep 2003
hahahahah ... of course the Europeans use only Majors, they can't figure out what the heck to do with their unillustrated pips. HAHAHHA (sorry Diana... I don't know what got into me...)

Nevada	14 Sep 2003
Hmm. I will have to give this a try.

full deck	14 Sep 2003
I've noted that some also segment the Minchiate deck for different types of readings. Does anyone else here do this as well?

Diana	15 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by firemaiden hahahahah ... of course the Europeans use only Majors, they can't figure out what the heck to do with their unillustrated pips. I knew someone would come along and give a smartass answer to that post! Pfffff!!!! Some people have just never figured out that the 22 Majors are all we need to get through life safely....... and perhaps a little wiser. Firemaiden: You do not get a biscuit, and certainly no Swiss Cheese for breakfast. :D

firemaiden	15 Sep 2003
what ??? no biscuit? FM sings: "How shall I live through tomorrow?"

lili	16 Sep 2003
about a year ago I did a reading using only the majors but i couldn't understand the reading. perhaps I should give it another try and read only with the majors for practice.

Macavity	16 Sep 2003
Sometimes I get a bit thrown by a card that doesn't seem to have an immediate relationship with a (common) spread position, even for "mixed" card readings. One idea might be to have "Arcana Specific" spread positions? ;) This (imo) rather nice system is described for the Haindl Tarot by Rachel Pollack. Basically you deal Majors into "higher matters" positions, minors for "mundane" and courts for "relationships". At it's most simple, nine cards as three lots of three (semi-decoupled but) related readings... Macavity Noting that Aun kinda mentioned this re. the Minchiate?

catlin	17 Sep 2003
As my first tarot deck only contained Majors I started working with the Majors only some 20 years ago. Afterwards I switched to using a full deck and now I sometimes use only Minors or only Majors to read with, depending on my mood and question.

lunaperse	17 Sep 2003
i have a friend who Only reads using Only the majors she says the minors just dont speak to her... but then when she reads with the majors she tends to be very dark eg The Empress - well youll have a ocntrolling owman coming into your life who will try to hold you to her side - the lovers - oh! look you might have to worry about your lover findind a new love or maybe youre just at risk of some std - so oddly i dont tend to let her read for me - its not that i have a problem with "bad" readings if theyre true but... seeing everything the way she does is as bad as only seeing the good... and cause she does read using only majors the readings feel That much more portentious - actually doing a reading using only majors might be impressive to the querent in some ways ... in some decks theyre the only ones given the Full treatment artistically

wolfen045	17 Sep 2003
I should have seen this thread before istarted mine... at least my question has been answered. Blessings(and Blushes) wolfen

Inana	18 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by firemaiden hahahahah ... of course the Europeans use only Majors, they can't figure out what the heck to do with their unillustrated pips. LOL!! Hey, at least its true for me!! I read only with Majors when using my Marseilles.... Not very often anyway. But a woman who has done very accurate readings to me only uses the majors. I find it more difficult and I think you need a better and huge understanding on the majors to do so.

Marion	18 Sep 2003
I have a couple of Majors-only decks and I do use them. I only use small spreads and only for the larger issues in life.

raeanne	18 Sep 2003
Hi all, When I do Majors only readings it is usually when I can’t see the forest for the trees. If I am in the middle of a situation and having trouble looking at it from other perspectives, I will do a Majors only reading. Usually the reading helps me see things with greater clarity. So, when I am lost and I’m looking all around trying to see where to go or what to do, a Majors only reading is like someone taking my head in there hands and pointing me in the right direction and saying; “There, go that way!”

Dark_angel	18 Sep 2003
I often do Majors-only readings, particularly with the Adrian Tarot, and then use minors to expand on themes. I usually use quite simple spreads though, because if there are too many positions in which cards have to be laid out, I find that it means less to me. I tend to use them especially when there's a very important issue being studied, when a few key Majors are worth far more than an ornate spread. xxx

The Reading with only Majors thread was originally posted on 14 Sep 2003 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.