Do you 'Upright' your cards between Querents?

[tarotbear]

On the thread about Using Reversals Carla made a point about futzing around when reading for herself, but before reading for a client that she would put all the cards in an 'Upright' position before the client shuffled.

How about YOU?

When I have a lot of readings to do at a party or elsewhere, I try (at the very least) to shuffle the cards a few times to 'break' up the cards that the last client received in their reading. {Having the same cards come up in multiple readings at the same event is a theme for another thread!} I usually do this to 'redistribute' their cards through the pack. If I have enough time, I DO go through and turn all the reversed cards upright - thus neutralizing (hopefully!) the last Querent's cards. I also try to do this without being too obvious, and if another Querent comes along I just engage them in a minute or two of conversation while this 'Uprighting & Shuffling' routine is happening.

 

[Barleywine]

On the thread about Using Reversals Carla made a point about futzing around when reading for herself, but before reading for a client that she would put all the cards in an 'Upright' position before the client shuffled.

How about YOU?

When I have a lot of readings to do at a party or elsewhere, I try (at the very least) to shuffle the cards a few times to 'break' up the cards that the last client received in their reading. {Having the same cards come up in multiple readings at the same event is a theme for another thread!} I usually do this to 'redistribute' their cards through the pack. If I have enough time, I DO go through and turn all the reversed cards upright - thus neutralizing (hopefully!) the last Querent's cards. I also try to do this without being too obvious, and if another Querent comes along I just engage them in a minute or two of conversation while this 'Uprighting & Shuffling' routine is happening.

Because I consider the primary goal of the shuffle and cut to be "randomizing" the deck, I never bother putting it back in order between readings. Starting with a "pre-randomized" deck doesn't strike me as a significant liability, as long as the querent has a chance to actively rearrange the cards by shuffling and/or cutting. I will, however, stick the cards from the last reading randomly back into the deck before the shuffle and not leave them in a "clump" (but that's probably more "fussy" than critical). I actually prefer having the cards thoroughly mixed up from prior use; it avoids artificially getting 5 or 6 trumps or 5 or 6 of one suit in a row due to an inadequate shuffle. My experience has been that the spread will produce the "right" cards in the "right" order and orientation to yield valuable insights on the question regardless of where the cards started from, as long as they aren't overly biased by a combination of rote reordering and careless shuffling.

 

[PAMUYA]

I never adjust my cards before a reading or between querents. While forming the question with my client I shuffle(only I shuffle the cards)..the cards come to me as they are; upright or reversed. I know what numbers mean, I know what the suits mean, does not matter what direction the card is, I know how to read it. If I feel a card is turned the wrong way, I will change it. It's my deck, my reading, I have to power and choice to do anything I want. And so does ever other card reader. Just my 2 cents..

 

[Puisun Kanna]

If I am doing indepth readings, then I will clear them after. More of an energetic clearing.
I very rarely reorder the cards though. If I feel they are stagnant, then I just layout in the pentagram shuffle, and that usually breaks up whatever it is I am feeling.

I am the only one who shuffles my cards as well, I do not hand them to the Q to shuffle, or cut.

 

[tarotbear]

I actually prefer having the cards thoroughly mixed up from prior use; it avoids artificially getting 5 or 6 trumps or 5 or 6 of one suit in a row due to an inadequate shuffle. My experience has been that the spread will produce the "right" cards in the "right" order and orientation to yield valuable insights on the question regardless of where the cards started from, as long as they aren't overly biased by a combination of rote reordering and careless shuffling.

I don't mean putting the deck in order - Majors Zero- 21, then the Suits Ace to King, etc. That would be WAY too much work! I simply mean turning all the cards from the last querent upright. That way the next Querent does not get the last Querent's cards.

 

[Barleywine]

I don't mean putting the deck in order - Majors Zero- 21, then the Suits Ace to King, etc. That would be WAY too much work! I simply mean turning all the cards from the last querent upright. That way the next Querent does not get the last Querent's cards.

Ah, I misunderstood. I was still thinking about other posts that implied having to put the deck in an "out-of-the-box" order for each querent. I guess I don't worry about resetting the orientation either, since I use a shuffling method that thoroughly randomizes that as well. With a standard, side-to-side shuffle, though, it would probably be appropriate to put them upright and then reintroduce reversals (if you use them) in your usual way. I see your point.

 

[Trogon]

Hi Tarotbear! For me, after a reading, I pick up the cards that came up in the reading, kind of randomly stick them back in the deck here & there, then shuffle a couple of times. Between shuffles I'll cut out a part of the deck and rotate it them put it on the top or bottom. I do this all while kind of just thinking of "resetting" the deck.

 

[ThunderWolf]

I personally don't read reversals, so I shuffle in such a way that they all remain upright. If the querent feels a need to handle the cards I just have them cut the deck for me. In any case they pretty well stay upright for me this way, so that's not an issue. I do like to give them a bit of a shuffle between clients, though.

 

[nisaba]

On the thread about Using Reversals Carla made a point about futzing around when reading for herself, but before reading for a client that she would put all the cards in an 'Upright' position before the client shuffled.

How about YOU?

I don't read reversals any more - they're sorta "training wheels for Tarot": after a while I found that upright was fine, as I was able to tell intuitively when a card was delivering a slightly different message. That being said, it was a wonderful exercise being a part of Marcus Katz' reversed cards pairing exercise, where I had to pair the Nine Pentacles Reversed with every other card in the deck upright, and discuss those pairings.

On the rare occasions when a card presents itself reversed, I take that not as a change of meaning, but as the card's way of yelling at me, telling me it wants me to pay particular attention to it. And yes, I immediately upright it, even in the spread.

In decades of reading, only one client has ever spontaneously tried to reverse cards during a shuffle (in the early 1980s), and I stopped her. The reading went well and helped her out at the time.

 

[headincloud]

Hi TB I always upright the reversed cards for a new reading be it myself or someone else and tend to use around a quarter of the pack in reversed orientation because for me it makes clearer, easier reading.