Using Clarifiers

FreeMoon

Hi - would like to get some thoughts from those of you that use a second deck to clarify cards in your spreads do you use Clarifiers in the upright position only or upright and reverse?
 

Barleywine

Interesting question. I only use clarifiers when I create a specific position for them in a spread. (I sometimes add "wild cards" that can be used with any other card in the layout, and I deal them face-down at the same time as the rest of the cards). In any case, I take them as they come off the deck, either upright or reversed. If I were to draw them the way most people do, I probably wouldn't use reversals since the clarifier is already an arbitrary (and often unhelpful) addition to the reading so there is no point in further complicating the outcome.
 

Rachx

I use clarifier very rarely because I think the cards and spread provide enough info. When I do use them I ask for clarification that I have read the whole spread correctly - not just an individual card. I will ask something like "am I on the right lines with this take?" Although a yes /no question the card I pull will add more to the reading 'as a whole' . For example if I get Sun then I know it's right. If I get hermit then "needs more reading" or three wands may suggest- outcome dependent and so on.

I read reversals dependent on deck so yes for some spreads and no for others xx
 

Honeysun

I used to use clarifiers a lot in the past, especially when I was just starting out with tarot. They really helped and gave me more insight and made interpreting cards easier.

However, I don't use them anymore. Now I prefer to use shadow cards and sometimes quints for more information.
 

lantana

I don't use clarifiers anymore (when I did I always found them to just be more confusing), but sometimes pulling an oracle card at the end of a spread can help sum up a reading in a more obvious manner, especially if it's the kind of oracle with one-word keywords.
 

Ruby Jewel

Hi - would like to get some thoughts from those of you that use a second deck to clarify cards in your spreads do you use Clarifiers in the upright position only or upright and reverse?

I look at clarifiers the same way I look at the 2nd card in an oracle....like an adjective that acts on the noun to broaden the meaning. At first I disdained them, but when I started experimenting I found they worked for me. Now, I prefer them to reversals
 

FreeMoon

Great - thanks everyone for taking the time to give me your thoughts on Clarifiers 😄
 

Quest85

I used to use clarifiers a lot in the past, especially when I was just starting out with tarot. They really helped and gave me more insight and made interpreting cards easier.

However, I don't use them anymore. Now I prefer to use shadow cards and sometimes quints for more information.

Yeah same here!
Clarifiers seem to make me even more confused a lot of the time.
Base/shadow and Quint card are working for me. If I do a 3 card spread, I'll first interpret the 3 cards, sometimes I'll take the Quint from these cards, to see if I'm in the right direction with my interpretation. And sometimes I add the Base/Shadow card aswell, but it depends on the question.
when I do happen to use clarifiers (very rarely) I usualy ask a question about the card I want to have clarified..which means that the clarifying card I'll be pulling doesnt persé clarify the card and I interpret it based on the question I asked. If they happen to be reversed, I would take the rx meaning. I always use just one deck.