Do you use special rituals, etc before starting a reading?

SunChariot said:

Well, I don't find my little rituals distract me from anything spiritual. I need my candles burning to feel comfortable. But I think that comfort is the main thing. If you're not comfortable doing something, if it's not you, it won't work for you. I would very much agree with that. And that's why it's so hard to tell others how they should read. You can't really because what works for one person and makes them comfortable, may not be the same as for the next

Babs

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Try being a Baha'i. As a new convert, I'm trying to remove excessive and unnecessary ritual, but my witcheries slightly negate that, lol. Although I'm not supposed to be tied down to rituals as a necessitation, I still do like rituals, lol.

So hard.

- wheeloffortune

I just recently started learning so I have no formal rituals, but I did notice that I wash my hands. I usually shuffle the cards and while shuffling I ask whatever question. I really want to improve in my rituals because I think it's more than just preparation for me, but for my deck as well and I don't want them to feel offended for not as thorough as possible.

I really liked some of the things that some of you wrote, like for example the whole room devoted for reading and tarot, sadly I don't have the space needed for that.

I always separate mine into 8 piles, 4 on top and 4 on the bottom and then sort them. I place one down and then another I turn around so it is either inverted or upright depending on the position before. I do it until I am finished. I always do them when I have time and not rushing, preferably late at night when I draw on my internal energy. I also dont let anyone touch them. When I am done with my spread and getting ready to put them away, I shuffle them before I place them back in the silk.

wheeloffortune said:

Try being a Baha'i. As a new convert, I'm trying to remove excessive and unnecessary ritual, but my witcheries slightly negate that, lol. Although I'm not supposed to be tied down to rituals as a necessitation, I still do like rituals, lol.

So hard.

- wheeloffortune

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As one who was raised in the Baha'i Faith, and having been a Baha'i for almost 17 years, the understanding I've come to about ritual is that it is not bad in and of itself, so much that rituals can become static and when that happens, the form becomes mistaken foir the spirit. The general guidance is that if something is becoming to ritualistic, change it.

Are you a witch who has now accepted Baha'u'llah? If so I'd love to hear that story. As I said I've been a Bahai for 17 years. Several yearts back I did some serious investigation into witchcraft. As Baha'i are supposed to consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of untiy and concord, I realized I knew (at that time) pretty much nil about the Craft. To make a long stroy short, by studying Wicca I learned several things that I still take to heart and feel has made me a better Bahai.

SunChariot said:

Well, I don't find my little rituals distract me from anything spiritual. I need my candles burning to feel comfortable. But I think that comfort is the main thing. If you're not comfortable doing something, if it's not you, it won't work for you. I would very much agree with that. And that's why it's so hard to tell others how they should read. You can't really because what works for one person and makes them comfortable, may not be the same as for the next

Babs

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While in some situations comfort is necessary, I find that some of our greatest spiritual growth occurs when we step out of our comfort zone. I think there is a huge difference between a gut feeling of danger, and the discomfort of adapting to a new scenario.

Love, understanding, and compassion,
Matt

hmmm...

For online readings i take some more time than offline readings. for online i layout my cloth, use Florida Water, rattle, and palo santo incense. some readings require more cleansing than others.

for off line, it depends. if it is planned, then i still use Florida water and rattle but before the person gets to my place. if it is not at my place, then i just say a "prayer" in Spanish. i always say my "prayer" in Spanish and some English.

What is Florida water? I'm not familiar with that?

I think it depends on the person that reads, whatever makes the reader feel more comfortable, the reader should do.

I personally don't like rituals and have never done them. I read anywhere, on the table, on the sofa, on the dresser. I have no clothing or candles or water of any sort. I think rituals have worked for many people, but I just never got too interested on it. I also read when I feel like it, so some days I read a lot, and some others I don't read at all.

One thing is that I never let anyone other than myself touch my deck, not even to shuffle. I am not sure why, I think it's just a preference. Also, I've heard a lot of terrible stories about bad shuffling that led to ruining decks, so I don't want that to happen to mine. LOL

Overall, I think that it's important to lay out the cards and do any proceedings that help you do a good reading and have fun with the cards.

Best,

S.

Solitaire* said:

What is Florida water? I'm not familiar with that?

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Florida water is a water essense used in Mojo and South american shamanism.
I have used both the Kananga and the florida water. the Kananga is way stronger and used for special rituals/ceremonies. where as the water one is a 'bit' less strong, but equally powerful. it is indeed an 'acquired taste' for many.
http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html
give it a try. it is great.

I know this is an older thread but I'm just getting back into Tarot after an absence of many many years. I enjoyed everyone's posts about their rituals -- interesting to see the commonalities and differences that make each one unique.

During the "many many years" since I last read Tarot -- and we're talking decades here so I'm basically starting at zero -- I spent a good bit of time as a sign language interpreter. When I started back into Tarot, I realized that, before I started to shuffle, I was gently "wiping" my palm and the flats of my fingers across the top of the deck two or three times, without really thinking about it.

Then I realized that what I was doing is the sign for "clean"! It seemed so appropriate that I've kept that, and have added another one: The sign for "new" also works well, and I added that as the last "pass" across the top of the deck before I begin to shuffle.

That's lovely! Can you describe the sign for "new"? Are you a part of the deaf community yourself, or just "bilingual"? I've often wanted to learn Australian Sign Language, but I just don't move in the right circles ... when I've been out and about and seen it spoken, it strikes me as a very fluid and elegant language.