gregory
She stole my ritual
No wait - she lets the sitter shuffle. I don't do f2f, or almost never, so that doesn't apply to me....
What does everyone do before / after a reading?
No wait - she lets the sitter shuffle. I don't do f2f, or almost never, so that doesn't apply to me....Nemia
Tanga's prayer inspired me when I read about it first, and I translated it to German and made it suit my own belief system. I don't use it regularly but I think I will because it helps when I do.
I usually breathe deeply and close my eyes when I shuffle, and try to imagine that my feet have roots and my head is in the leaves of a tree with birds and clouds. It's an inner picture I find relaxing.
Another inner picture I have is of a dark peaceful lake with swans who put their heads into the water. Sometimes the stars are reflected in the water.
Another one is a shower not of white light but of rainbow coloured light.
I'm an insomniac and have found these images help me relax and when I see them within my mind, I'm more focused.
Sometimes I do nothing of the sort, just breathe. It depends on how difficult I find it to focus and become quiet. I don't have any other ritual, just my spread cloth (which is the cover of my tarot basket at all times), a deck and a table or bed.
I usually breathe deeply and close my eyes when I shuffle, and try to imagine that my feet have roots and my head is in the leaves of a tree with birds and clouds. It's an inner picture I find relaxing.
Another inner picture I have is of a dark peaceful lake with swans who put their heads into the water. Sometimes the stars are reflected in the water.
Another one is a shower not of white light but of rainbow coloured light.
I'm an insomniac and have found these images help me relax and when I see them within my mind, I'm more focused.
Sometimes I do nothing of the sort, just breathe. It depends on how difficult I find it to focus and become quiet. I don't have any other ritual, just my spread cloth (which is the cover of my tarot basket at all times), a deck and a table or bed.
Farzon
I close my eyes and concentrate on the question. If I want to ask Spirit Guides for help, I visualize them now.
I shuffle, eyes open again, trying to get my mind empty just as I would in a Zen meditation. Then I spread out the cards as a fan, choose the cards and do the reading.
After that's done, I randomly put the cards back into the deck. If Spirit Guides were involved, I close my eyes again, visualize, and thank them. I'll slightly bow in the physical world as well, Japanese dojo-style. If no Spirit Guides were asked for help, I jump right to the last step: shuffling the cards once again and putting them back into the box.
I shuffle, eyes open again, trying to get my mind empty just as I would in a Zen meditation. Then I spread out the cards as a fan, choose the cards and do the reading.
After that's done, I randomly put the cards back into the deck. If Spirit Guides were involved, I close my eyes again, visualize, and thank them. I'll slightly bow in the physical world as well, Japanese dojo-style. If no Spirit Guides were asked for help, I jump right to the last step: shuffling the cards once again and putting them back into the box.
Marcus R
I like to light a candle most times but it's not necessary, I like incense too but rarely use it while reading lately, (my wife thinks it stinks.....everyone else likes it). I prefer to read in the afternoon or evening mostly with an old lamp for light. I prefer quiet to read so sit on the back veranda where I can hear the birds rather than the television. I have sometimes played music but I find it distracting.
I think of the issue while shuffling. Any jumpers I consider pertinent to the issue I may put aside but do this seldom. I do not turn any of the deck to create reversals but will accept any that appear.
While looking at the spread, I find I rub my left hand index and thumb together in a circular motion, something I have never done in any other circumstances, I can consciously not do it but am surprised to find it happening.
I mainly read for myself so let my mind wander in all (Tarot) directions while contemplating the spread, I may sit for an hour with the cards. I usually journal within that hour too.
After reading I restack the deck neatly, sometimes shuffle and have just recently started placing a smooth dark grey stone on the deck to keep it flat if I leave it out on the table.
I wrap my decks in scraps of cloth, (looks better than it sounds), I'm finding I'm attracted to red tartans lately.
That's it.
I think of the issue while shuffling. Any jumpers I consider pertinent to the issue I may put aside but do this seldom. I do not turn any of the deck to create reversals but will accept any that appear.
While looking at the spread, I find I rub my left hand index and thumb together in a circular motion, something I have never done in any other circumstances, I can consciously not do it but am surprised to find it happening.
I mainly read for myself so let my mind wander in all (Tarot) directions while contemplating the spread, I may sit for an hour with the cards. I usually journal within that hour too.
After reading I restack the deck neatly, sometimes shuffle and have just recently started placing a smooth dark grey stone on the deck to keep it flat if I leave it out on the table.
I wrap my decks in scraps of cloth, (looks better than it sounds), I'm finding I'm attracted to red tartans lately.
That's it.
Farzon
Oh great! I use a Navajo Blanket as spread cloth, and usually it also covers the boxes in which I store my decks! [emoji4]
DesertDream
Nemia stole my ritual hehehehe
She stole my ritual
F2f?? I think I am more along the lines of not letting others touch my tools, unless maybe they have good energy.
I have a weaved mexican blanket that I love as a backdrop, it must look beautiful!
Rowan Witchcraft
I like to have candles and incense when I read but it's not necessary, I just think they set the mood nicely. I shuffle the deck until it feels ready then take a few moments to center myself and then I ask my question and get on with the reading. Once I'm done I shuffle the deck until it seems to be randomised again then put it away.
Tanga
?... Spiritual activities no... what do you mean?
The only thing that happens to me if I haven't done ritual (and know that I should have because I'm not feeling grounded, peaceful, prepared to focus on someone elses story etc.)
is that I'm then: not clear headed, don't feel grounded, or peaceful, or prepared to focus on someone elses story etc - and then the reading is difficult and I botch the job...
I'm imagining that maybe you're thinking along the lines of having spirits/entities invade your space or such like??
Well - lets see. If I'm doing a spell/ritual I ALWAYS do all the preparatory rigmarole beforehand and after - because in my head - the space is not safe from interfering energy (which mostly might be me just thinking this, and hence it is so) without it.
But for a reading it's different - because I don't believe that this scenario is quite the same somehow... The strength comes all from within me, I just have to align myself - and so the barrier/protection is for me to be confident in my own mind, about what's going to come out of my mouth. See?
(whereas I suppose for a spell - there's more of an idea of impacting on the outer world with one's WILL, more variables included - and if one has involved another person - of the effects of psychomagick...).
...On days when I feel vulnerable (say I'm tired, or a bit under-the-weather etc. and therefore know that I'll generally be more affected by "everyone else" than usual) - but still have to read for someone...
(Interestingly), I may put more ritual jewellery on (those bits of jewellery that I consider linked directly to my spirituality and symbolize to me, self-preservation/protection).
- So in addition to the big old scarab ring and large Pentacle that I always wear - I might add, a skull bead mala/prayer beads, my magickal dragonfly ring or snake ring, and/or snake bracelet (the snake is a symbol of the masculine side of my Patron Deity - who is androgynous).
I may wear my blue goldstone power bracelet (which is basically a mini mala worn around the wrist) - because blue goldstone reflects the Egyptian Goddess Nuit - who protects by holding back chaos.
**Not all of these extra's will go on at once.
I might look like a Yule/Xmas tree then... 
It's usually - the one that most comes to mind when I'm thinking about it.
...and a couple of protective crystals in my pocket (Black Tourmaline and/or Apache's Tear).
Plus maybe before I leave the house, do a protection ritual over myself (My own modified LBRP - Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram) and then I'm good to go...
Yes - I created that prayer myself - by putting bit's and pieces of other rituals that I do/invented into an "all-in-one" short and easy to remember statement - if you like.
And YES - you may use it.
Thankyou for the curtesy of asking me.
Kalisti
If I'm reading at home I light a candle. I'll add incense and wear a stone if it's a spiritual working, but usually it's just a candle. For one draws, I don't even do that. I do my cleansing shuffles before shuffling for a read, so when I'm done reading I just thank the deck and put it away.
In public I like to be as discreet as possible, so the thanks usually gets skipped. I try to make it look like a weird game of solitaire
In public I like to be as discreet as possible, so the thanks usually gets skipped. I try to make it look like a weird game of solitaire
Grizabella
I light a cigarette----
No, wait! That was for something else, and I don't smoke anymore anyway.
I don't do any rituals or candles or prayers or anything like that. I shuffle, cut, put the cards out for the spread and then when finished, I gather up the cards and put them away.
Lately, though, since my arthritis in my hands has been bad, I've trimmed a lot of my decks to make them smaller so I can overhand shuffle them. To make sure each reading is done with very thoroughly randomized cards, I deal them out into four facedown piles before putting them away between readings. I've found that will really randomize the cards much better than my overhand shuffles.
No, wait! That was for something else, and I don't smoke anymore anyway.
I don't do any rituals or candles or prayers or anything like that. I shuffle, cut, put the cards out for the spread and then when finished, I gather up the cards and put them away.
Lately, though, since my arthritis in my hands has been bad, I've trimmed a lot of my decks to make them smaller so I can overhand shuffle them. To make sure each reading is done with very thoroughly randomized cards, I deal them out into four facedown piles before putting them away between readings. I've found that will really randomize the cards much better than my overhand shuffles.
