Face up or face down...how do you read your spreads?

shemsu sutekh

When you use a spread, any spread, do you turn over all the cards and then read from beginning to end?

Or do you turn over cards, one by one and form the story that way?

Or, secret option C, a way that I don't know...lol :)

Please, any input on this would be helpful. Just tell me which one you use and why it works for you.


Also, it was a 50/50 toss up whether to post this in Using Tarot Cards or Tarot Spreads. I came to the conclusion that this was probably the better forum, but my apologies in advance if it needs to be moved.
 

SunChariot

I turn them all over first and then begin to read them.

Bar
 

franniee

face up because I read backwards and forwards and across and diagonally and around in circles :D

I'm free and easy when I read - I don't assign meanings too rigidly to positions.. so I use a more free flow style - I did a read in one of the reading circles last night and i had to keep the cards face down and reveal them one at a time - I found it stifling....so odd. BUT it was a great experience to do it a different way...and I will try it again because it was challenging for me. :cool:
 

Anyankah

I think some about what each card means as I turn it over but don't start deciding what it all means as a whole until I have all the cards out.
 

shemsu sutekh

Thanks, everyone. I had no idea it was so common to turn them all over and then do the reading.

I've been turning them over one by one, but I've been finding myself going back over cards I've already interpreted and revising my readings as more and more cards get turned over. For some reason, it never occured to me to just flip 'em all over and then go for it, and I wanted to know what you all thought.

I think that flipping them all over would be more helpful as I can see how many majors overall, which suits and numbers are the strongest, ect.

Anyway, thanks very much for the input.
 

franniee

You know SS, it is all a matter of preference - we all have our rituals/habits - how we shuffle - how we lay the cards - where we start to read ...etc. It makes the read ours do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

maybe you can do it the way you do and then after they are all face up see the connections etc. just make it your own. that's the only rule :love:
 

Sinduction

franniee said:
face up because I read backwards and forwards and across and diagonally and around in circles :D

I'm free and easy when I read - I don't assign meanings too rigidly to positions.. so I use a more free flow style

I would love to see you share some of these in the spreads thread, if you haven't already done so....
 

franniee

Hi Sinduction - I wouldn't know how to articulate it - but I'll think about it.... :)
 

Grizabella

I put my cards down face up. I take note of what each card is as I put them down, but I don't lay them out all face down and then start turning them over or lay them out all face up before reading them. I guess I'd be something in between the two options, huh?
 

shemsu sutekh

franniee, thanks for the advice. I've been reading for awhile, but I've been hesitant until just recently to try out different methods. I am beginning to explore and define "my" way of reading, so I will keep doing that until something "clicks".

The reason I was so curious was because the way I was doing things was not clicking for me, and then I read a post about someone else and they mentioned that they turned everything face up all at once, and I was like "duh! Why didn't I think of that?!?"