Focus or Unfocus

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Eco74	14 Sep 2004
How do you do it? For me I find it easier to tune in with the cards when I "unfocus" which is just basically letting go of everything and letting the messages that matter pass through the clutter and make their way to me on their own. When I try focusing I just get stuck in ruts and get nowhere, or get absolute hairbrain schemes in my mind that make no sense at all.

Fulgour	14 Sep 2004
Trust fully in the authority of your own experience. From some of my posts elsewhere, there may be an impression that my approach to interpretations is very structured and textbook-like. But that is just my intellectual understanding ~ a very important basis for the intuitive impressions found in my readings. Knowing what a card means, to my own satisfaction, frees me from needing to rely on that information, and so I can express, without worry, my thoughts.

moonlight	14 Sep 2004
Burning candles or inscence helps me focus when doing readings. I find it takes all the stress/thoughts from my mind.

closrapexa	14 Sep 2004
I too, find that when I focus on the immediate, I tend to concentrate more on the "meanings" and not on the reading. I let myself kind of drift and then the reading goes much smoother.

contrascarpe	14 Sep 2004
Typically when I read, I start with a clear mind. I try to stay unfocused as long as possible and let the cards guide me. When I am reading for a client, I start by pulling three or four cards - they usually don't fail me. The images I get are formed in my head, not in the cards. If I have difficulty, then I focus more on the cards themselves, looking for little clues that I may have missed the first time around. This past Sunday, I had a most unusual reading. I could feel the Seeker blocking me. I was getting nothing from the cards. I felt like I was going around in circles, but I kept my center. Suddenly her block went down and she passed her energy over to me. It literally made me dizzy. When I composed myself, I told her what I saw, with vivid detail. I never even stopped to consider that I would be so off-base I would have lost her. I could see what she was feeling. I was so accurate, she started crying. My 30 minute reading turned into a 50 minute one. So, the longer I can remain unfocused, the more spot on I usually get. Dan

Gyda	14 Sep 2004
I just shuffle, and either look at the cards or watch TV, talk to the person I'm reading for whatever appeals at the time, so I don't really focus or non-focus. when I try either I get nothing. I personally seem to get better response when distracted, I'd have to say I'm more open then, and more receptive that way.

Kit	15 Sep 2004
I focus on not being focused~ and it's not easy sometimes :D If I'm concentrating on other stuff, I don't read as well. Raeven

starhermit	15 Sep 2004
I focus then unfocus, if that makes any sense lol. When I lay out the cards I look at each one in turn and form some thoughts in my head. Then I just let my eyes go back and forth between the cards and mull the question in my mind and just drift. Very often, I get an eureka moment when everything just clicks into place and I know it's right. Sometimes I've even left the cards on my desk, wandered off, and come back, and as soon as I see them again I immediately get what the cards are saying to me. We do seem to be an 'unfocus' bunch so far... :)

Eco74	15 Sep 2004
Oh, I knew I couldn't possibly be the only one, but still it feels great to read how other people do it. Takes some of the pressure off of the too oftentime "you must prepare, make protective circles, meditate before taking the cards out, cleans your aura" etc. that one occationally runs into. *s*

The Focus or Unfocus thread was originally posted on 14 Sep 2004 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.