Which way the cards are facing...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
Sometimes during a reading, its difficult to tell which way the deck is turned and which side is spposed to be the "right way up". This is a problem if you're using reversals. Usually I shuffle and cut while the cards are aupright to me, then turn them so that they face the querent when they shuffle and cut and at the end of it I turn it around again. If I lose track of the cards then it all ends up confused. So I've decided to try to find a technique to resolve this: before the reading, after choosing a significator for the querent, I turn the card face up and then place it in the middle of the face down deck. That way, I know which way around the deck is supposed to be. What do you think? Hope this helps.

Cerulean	15 Jan 2005
In the last three weeks I had slow and conversational readings with friends, so your timely and quick solution works when there is someone pressed for time. Since I don't tend to use significators before the reading, I am thinking I can use a title or extra card in the card deck to indicate right-side-up or upside-down. I also tend to have a spread cloth--everything from dyed cotton marbelized muslin pieces to a small table runner that I picked up at a discount store. They are usually no larger than a small bandana, so I can pick up the edges and turn the cloth with cards around to face the questioner... Thanks for your suggestion and hope the spread cloth idea might help sometime. Regards, Cerulean

HudsonGray	15 Jan 2005
If you're talking about deck orientation when the client hands the deck back to you, just figure that they're holding it in relation to themselves, not to you, so turn the bottom around once it's back in your hands. Even people working with scissors hardly ever remember to hand off the scissors by the HANDLE end when they give them back (I found from experience) so the deck would be in relation to how they'd hold it for themselves, not for giving to you.

tarobones	16 Jan 2005
I have heard the suggestion that both Reader and Querent sit on the same side of the table........then the problem is solved. You are both looking at the cards from the same point of view. It's also a good symbolic way of expressing how both Reader and Querent, although the roles are different, both are facing the Sacred together. BB, Michael

Thirteen	16 Jan 2005
tarobones wrote: I have heard the suggestion that both Reader and Querent sit on the same side of the table........then the problem is solved. This is the way I've always done it. That way both of you get to see what the reader is seeing. I've never understood having the querent on the other side of the table.

Gyda	16 Jan 2005
I have the querent turn them around as they hand them back to me, so that the cards in my hand are the same way they shuffled them. It seems to work very well. Sometimes the querent is on the same side of the table as I am then it doesn't matter. I however like to have person sitting across from me, so I can read thier body lanuge.

Sinner	16 Jan 2005
Gyda wrote: I however like to have person sitting across from me, so I can read thier body lanuge. Thats right, I find the querent's body language is quite influential when putting a meaning together. If they suddenly react differently when you interpret certain cards you can tell you're on the right track. You can notice this better if you are facing them directly so I suppose its useful in this case.

tarotbear	16 Jan 2005
I have gotten into the habit of asking the Querent to hand me the deck 'with the top up' so that I orient it correctly. This means they are heanding me the top so I turn it around. Are you also aware that how you flip the cards from the pack affects their oritnation, too? I always flip the cards side to side as though i am turning the pages of a book. It you flip them end to end, you change the orientation of the cards. Try it now with a deck that has all the cards upright. Flipping them end-to-end reverses the cards. that means you are turning reversed cards upright ans upright cards reversed. I hate to say it, but the cards have a way of getting the correct message to you no matter what way you make them turn ... that is the cool thing about Tarot. I have my own way of shuffling so that when I read for myself there are no reversals since I don't read reversed cards. However, the Querent inevitably will reverse cards, so it is always good to be familiar with reversed meanings.

Keslynn	17 Jan 2005
Usually, when the querent hands the cards back to me, I look at the bottom card to determine which way is up. Of course, I don't use reversals so that simplifies things. :) Kes

The Which way the cards are facing... thread was originally posted on 15 Jan 2005 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.