One card versus many

Do you feel that you can get enough information to answer a question using a one card reading as opposed to a full spread? If so, what other methods do you use to get all that you can possibly get from a card besides just the base meaning? Are there any other methods that you use? I thought maybe I would learn more from tarot by just doing basic one card readings for a while to possibly learn more about a card than I have before.

Sometimes one card will give a very good picture of the situation but occasionally another card needs to be drawn but it really depends upon the question asked. The main problem with many spreads is that they give the reader irrelevant information that in no way helps to get an answer.

Being a beginner one card draws are great... at the moment the huge spreads confuse me a bit - some of the cards seem relevant and others seem not to fit in at all! My favorite is three cards with clarifying cards being drawn as necessary...

As for advice how? Too new to advise! But, I look a the card and see what I can get from it regarding the question and if that doesn't help look the meaning up and see if something jumps out at me... if that doesn't help I try some of the steps in Mary Greer's '21 Ways to read a Tarot card'

Hi Azarial

I like one carders (top card or from a fanning) - but add the Base card as a springboard, and have quite a few reading by this method - both Oracle and Tarot.

willowfox said:

The main problem with many spreads is that they give the reader irrelevant information that in no way helps to get an answer.

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Hi willowfox
Im not sure I understand - do you mean the question or the placements in the spread? Im not sure I agree that the spread or readings give irrelevant information that doesnt help get an answer. Maybe that relates to interpretation of the reading itself (which also relates to the question posed, Is it irrelevant?)
Information is not irrelevant in that case, It depends what you do with it.

Just some thoughts
Blessings Elven x

Elven said:

Im not sure I understand - do you mean the question or the placements in the spread? Im not sure I agree that the spread or readings give irrelevant information that doesnt help get an answer. Maybe that relates to interpretation of the reading itself (which also relates to the question posed, Is it irrelevant?)
Information is not irrelevant in that case, It depends what you do with it.

Click to expand...

What I meant was that many spreads ask quite silly questions as well as sensible ones, so some of the information received is not required to form an answer and another thought, many, many people use completely the wrong spread for the question posed, so all these things only help to confuse rather than to clarify.

willowfox said:

What I meant was that many spreads ask quite silly questions as well as sensible ones, so some of the information received is not required to form an answer and another thought, many, many people use completely the wrong spread for the question posed, so all these things only help to confuse rather than to clarify.

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I know what you mean - many of the spread positions are redundant, the spread pattern is so 'decorative' you can't even follow it and by the time you've finished, you've used half the deck.

Simplicity, please!

Azarial said:

Do you feel that you can get enough information to answer a question using a one card reading as opposed to a full spread?

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I've been studying tarot for a year, and I have learned using a majors-only deck (so no Celtic Crosses for me just yet).

While on occasion, small spreads (5-7 cards) have provided some very powerful readings, I always come back to my ol' reliable: 3-cards with the shadow card.

Sometimes, I'll draw all three cards and explore the reading, but it's clear that had I simply drawn the first card alone, the answer may well have been there. 1-card readings work well for me, and sometimes they seem a lot more "to the point."

I think that it's the interplay of cards that helps me read more clearly using three... but once I start drawing more than that to clarify, I can often tell that they aren't required.

Azarial said:

If so, what other methods do you use to get all that you can possibly get from a card besides just the base meaning? Are there any other methods that you use? I thought maybe I would learn more from tarot by just doing basic one card readings for a while to possibly learn more about a card than I have before.

Click to expand...

I spend a lot of time just looking around a card, and that provides all the depth and breadth I need. Usually, there's a sort of "stream of consciousness"... lots of words, ideas, or common images that I scribble down as I look at a card which eventually forms a clear picture. Othertimes, especially if a reading is unclear, I'll take my time looking around the card to see more of the story and how it relates to the reader.

I suppose that's a rather intuitive approach - mighht not fit the definition of "method"!

Definitely. In fact it is rare that I use spreads. I prefer not to. Sometimes I will for a change of pace but it's rare.

I tend to just pull one card per question, although often enough some jumpers show up as well.

Actually, I don't pay too much attention to the basic card meanings anyway. They are a tiny part of the reading for Major cards and not at all of the Minors. I read by analysing the imagery and feeling what it means to me. The overall image and it's parts. Each colour, texture, pattern has meaning if you want to use it. It all has symbolism as well. Like if there is a lot of red in an image if could mean issues related to the first chakra. Or it could mean joy if that is what you first feel when you see the colour. It's just instinctive....just noticing what feels like a relevant symbol in a card in answer to your question and sensing the first thing that comes to mind and then how it related to your question.

Babs

I do this a lot, one card with a 2nd or shadow card for clerification.
I started by doing the celtic Cross and althought I learned a lot, looking up all those cards all the time....
I think I get better readings when I limit it to under 5.
I also change the spreads if I don't like the questions, meaning they don't fit the issue.
No reason not to do that.

one card..

I usually do Celtic or three cards spread but I have been trying horseshoe, so today I tried this one card to give it a go, I got the 4 of Wands, this card jump at me again while shuffling, and was found again in the celtic spread, so I have to take note of its meaning which must be significant for me.So may be one card is enough to answer a question.