FAQ - Tarot reading rituals - info please!

tarotbear

What do you do to get yourself 'in the mood' to conduct a reading? Describe the atmosphere you try to create - music, incense, candles, crystals, skyclad, what have you. Why do you do this? Do you do this every single time you read, or only for yourself?

If you read for others, what do you do before their reading? Does this help? What happens of you do not do this?
 

Thirteen

tarotbear (07 Sep, 2001 02:05):
What do you do to get yourself 'in the mood' to conduct a reading? Describe the atmosphere you try to create - music, incense, candles, crystals, skyclad, what have you. Why do you do this? Do you do this every single time you read, or only for yourself?

If you read for others, what do you do before their reading? Does this help? What happens of you do not do this?

We don't need no stink'n incense ;) Actually, I find that shuffing the cards does just fine to put me in the mood. About nine shuffles. Then a quick visualisation of light clensing the deck. Ready to go.
 

Phoenyx

I'd love to get this thread started back up, it seems to be a very potentially interesting one.

As I'm pretty new to the Tarot, I don't do much. I'm still getting accustomed to the cards.
 

paradoxx

I try to formulate the questions in my mind, what my emotoins are about them, what facts i know about what is going on.

Depending on the scope of the reading, personal well beingvs. world well being, i will gather what information i need to apply. Stones and crystals help clear excess thoughts from my mind and allow for peaceful energy to permeate my body.

Incense, candles, oils and such are not nessacary but a pleasent ambience to the overall feeling of the reeding. Some music in the background can help if its not too overwhealming.
 

Imagemaker

I usually sit on the floor, do some centered breathing and mind clearing, then shuffle as the question or issue becomes clear in my thoughts.

I shuffle and wait until a focused, clear phrasing comes to mind, then I say aloud the number of cards I'll draw and the spread I'll use (which may have changed since I started shuffling).

Then I cut once, restack, and take the cards from the top.
 

poivre

Just the challenge to find my answer &/or learn more is enough for me.
 

CreativeFire

When I am doing readings at home - I usually put on a "relaxing" music CD (mainly instrumental as voices can get distracting), burn my favour incense "Moon", and light a candle - all of this is not necessary and sometimes don't have the time to do it - but just find that it helps to block out the everyday and relax and focus on my questions and readings from the cards.

When I am doing readings away from home, don't worry about carting the music and CDs with me, however do like to light a candle if they have one handy. It may sound strange but I like to light the candle as it stands symbolically for "illumination" to me :) - therefore looking for illumination from the cards about a question or just in general.

CreativeFire
 

anjocoxo

Just like Thirteen, the only thing I need is to shuffle the cards, it's what puts me in the right mood. Sometimes I even find myself lost in thoughts when I'm shuffling cards. For instance, I have a problem and I think about doing a reading to clarify the situation. I start shuffling the deck and I start to get deep in the question... after a while I realize I've been shuffling for 5 minutes or more without noticing it.

I've had readings done in parties, with lots of mess and noise and I'm ok with that. The only thing that bothers me is people interrupting me... (especially if it's not the querent).

Anjo
 

Aerten

I clean my room and wash my hands and face before doing a reading. I hate reading in messy space, and the water sort of acts to refresh myself. I hadn't thought of that as ritual before, but there you have it. I also light a candle in the colour that corresponds to the mood of the deck I'm using- yellow for Spiral, pink for Art Nouveau, etc. Then I meditate a little to get myself focused on the task at hand, and that's it!
 

jmd

This thread dates to when there were around 3300 members less than there are now... what a growth Aeclectic has had :)

And a fascinating question to reflect on.

Like many, there is a sense in which just handling the deck is sufficient - and certainly sufficient to get to read it... yet, that is never what I have done in the past when reading for strangers - for those who come in off the street for a reading.

I have generally, in the past, prepared myself and my space by first silently intoning what is at times referred to as the Kabalistic Cross, followed some imaginative work with the four quarters, followed by an ascent of the Tree... and reversing the order when the sessions (ie, the day's work) have ended...

Now, I probably just rather 'quickly' (but what is time in the spiritual) prepare myself, for this or many other work, by an ascent upon the Tree...