Using Trumps only vs. whole deck

jean bosco

Dear Marseille aficionados,

well, during my journey thru lots of (really amazing and invaluable) TdM threads here, I quite frequently read that people read only with the trumps. That idea keeps my mind occupied now for some days already and that is why I want to ask you.

1 - People who only read with trumps: How come and are there specific methods? What is your way with it?

2 - People who read with sometimes whole deck and sometimes only trumps: What is your approach?

I have tried both but somehow it is easier for me to use the whole deck (at this moment). If there is 1 trump in a 3 card spread and 2 pips, then the trump gives the direction and the pips add the subtleties and the colour.
When there are 3 trumps then there is often so much momentum and movement going on that it can quite difficult to get the message. So much going on...
But anyway I'd love to hear about your ways. THX.

Jean
 

dancing_moon

Personally, I prefer the full deck too, but I sometimes read with Majors only, especially the Tirage en Croix spread.

Reading Majors only is akin to reading with runes, only instead of 24 you have 22. Since there are fewer cards, they tend to take up a wider range of meanings, from the most trivial to the most profound. The trick here is to stop seeing the Majors as just major and life-changing events and focus on their energy/meaning instead.

Perhaps, a good exercise would be to do daily draws with Majors only, especially if your days generally aren't eventful. Then you'll see that the Devil can mean something as simple as pleasure shopping or an entangled rope you had difficulty untying, and the Tower might stand for a sore thumb. :)

Good luck experimenting!
 

mrpants

Dancing, your point regarding Trumps as life-changing events is such a good one. Thank you for the reminder.
 

Richard

I recently got the mini version of Tadahiro Onuma's ISIS. It is a 26 card deck consisting of the 22 Trumps and 4 Aces. I normally read only for myself by shuffling and drawing a single card. This tiny deck seems to be spot-on accurate with this method. I had never before tried reading with essentially Trumps only. As dancing_moon mentioned, it is akin to reading Runes. Each card takes on a somewhat expanded gamut of significance.

It is not uncommon for readers in France to use only the Trumps from a Grimaud TdM. If they can do it, why can't we? It is essentially just using that part of a Tarot deck which distinguishes it from ordinary playing cards.
 

Farzon

I, too have my problems with reading majors-only.
When you do so, how do you see which card is the strongest one? Usually this would be the majors sincethey are referring to higher energies or the foundations of one´s life.
But without minors - how do you know which is the strongest influence?
 

Hooked on TdM

I use the majors only for self reflection and meditation. Otherwise I use the full deck. My reasoning is the layout. The majors are the fools journey or the divine purpose. The minors are the human condition (everyday life.)

If a certain situation called for majors only ( destiny, fate, big questions like that) then I'd probably go majors only.

Just my humble view.
 

jean bosco

Thanks for your replies!

The trick here is to stop seeing the Majors as just major and life-changing events and focus on their energy/meaning instead.
[...]
Good luck experimenting!

Thanks for that. Yes, experimenting is really important I think. How should one otherwise find their own way of reading. Maybe it is like playing a musical instrument. The more one is willing to spend time and to explore its possibilities the more of its beauty will be "accessible". Great reminder!

I, too have my problems with reading majors-only.
When you do so, how do you see which card is the strongest one? Usually this would be the majors sincethey are referring to higher energies or the foundations of one´s life.
But without minors - how do you know which is the strongest influence?

I think dancing moon made a good point. The majors are not always about "life-changing" events and issues. I will keep that in mind and try to get the little every day life nuances of them also.
 

Sherryl

I may be weird, or just a bit contrary, but I love the pip cards and often read with just the minor arcana. I compute the sum of the cards in a spread like the tirage a croix and use the corresponding trump card as the central theme card.

For my daily card reading I draw one minor arcana and one trump card. The minor arcana is the main message, colored by the energy of the trump.
 

CRISTAL QUARTZ

Marselle Major Cards, why? because is fast

Marselle 22 major are very usefull when you want to get to know a new client in your table, is like a snapshot of his life from where he is coming and how he got to the present time and where he is going, the layout is three lines of seven each one, first past, second present, third future top to bottom, the cards tell you what happened in his life and the conflicts at the present and how the future is going to evolve.

Another fast layout with Majors if you work online or reading by the phone you just put three lines of 3 cards each, same past, present and future then read, is very accurate specially when are cold readings, major cards describe the big events in life and is a faster way to see the person and the problem, then you remove the 4 cards from the corners and you have your celtic cross right there so you have two layouts in one, VERY, VERY accurate.

Then I go to the Rider as are easier the minor arcana and do another celtic cross selecting them from the 78 cards, with this you see more details is as a zoom from the other picture, events match beautifully, whatever show in the future (6 months normally) and questions I use Rider and confirm with Lenormand, that is my technic works for me always...!
 

swedishfish612

Perhaps, a good exercise would be to do daily draws with Majors only, especially if your days generally aren't eventful. Then you'll see that the Devil can mean something as simple as pleasure shopping or an entangled rope you had difficulty untying, and the Tower might stand for a sore thumb. :)

I've been doing this for the last few weeks, and I'm finding it really helpful. I used to pull the Tower and think something major and horrible was going to happen that day, and then I'd be confused when it was just another ordinary day. I pulled the Tower last weekend, and it simply was about my baby having a meltdown in the middle of dinner while we had company over.

I also had to laugh on the day that I pulled the Fool. I was hoping to spend a bit of time at the bookstore, browsing by myself that day. But on my way out the door, my 11-year-old son came running up behind me, wanting to come with me. Of course I brought him with me, and that night when I looked at the Fool again to see how it fit my day, I had to laugh. I saw myself, purse in hand, trying to go on my merry way while my son (the cat) insisted on tagging along! lol