How do you read without positions?

[spinnachie]

I have gotten into the habit of doing daily draws for myself, usually a 3 card daily draw. The last few times I have pulled the cards though, I didn't assign any positions to the cards.
Which led me to wonder, how would I interepret the cards? Are they just assumed as either Past/Present/Future? or are they all just in the present as it is a daily draw?

 

[Sinduction]

When I read without card positions I just stare at the cards until I see a story or sometimes I can make out a sentence or two.

I think it's really up to the individual reader as to how they "see" it.

 

[bogiesan]

I have gotten into the habit of doing daily draws for myself, usually a 3 card daily draw. The last few times I have pulled the cards though, I didn't assign any positions to the cards.
Which led me to wonder, how would I interepret the cards? Are they just assumed as either Past/Present/Future? or are they all just in the present as it is a daily draw?

Positions or order of draw? Do you want to see them before they are in a place or after? ONe could spill the deck and choose three cards at random, place them in an order (or not) and flip them over.

I'm with spinnachie, look at them till they tell you a story. But if you're doing dailies, write them down.

 

[rwcarter]

When I read without positions, I use Elemental Dignities to interpret the cards. I start from the center card and work my way out. This method requires an odd number of cards with the center card always read in relation to cards on either side of it.

 

[Alta]

My answer to your question: not very well. The only way you can really get much out of these random draws is if you have at least a pretty clear focus in your mind. And not "What does the Universe want me to know?" I liked this passage by Thirteen, though it is about folks posting in Using Tarot Cards or Your Readings:

So you didn't do a spread with actual spread positions, you just laid out seven cards. That makes it easy for you, but, again, very hard for us because you know yourself and your situation and can read more into what the cards might be telling you. I mean, looking at your question: "Tell me what I need to know..." About what? I don't know what you're situation is. Do you need to know about a lover? A job? Your family? Your health? All those things? And if so...which card is telling you about what?

It's a pretty vague question. And in addition, you're doing a spread that involves no positions. So I can't look at the "10/Swords" and say, "This is in the position of work, it looks like you're going to have a tough time at your job."

Let me give you a better example of what I mean here. There's a thread in the "Using" section about someone who got the 10/Swords. She looked at the card and realized that it was simply reminding her of her acupuncture appointment. Which is pretty cool...maybe your 10/Swords is saying the same thing to you. If you did a real spread, and had a "health" position, then I might suggest back pains and problems and, yes, maybe acupuncture if you got the 10/Swords in that "Health" position. But a 10/Swords laid out with no spread? I've no idea. There are SO many things it could mean about any situation in your life at all. Swords can refer to mental activity, illness, legal issues, science, ideas, gossip....the list goes on.

You're tossing 7 cards at us, no positions, a vague question, no idea of what's going on in your life that these cards might refer to...and you asking us what we think?

Actually. I do have an answer as to what I think these cards are all about:

Ace/Swords--you get the idea to flip seven cards off the top into no particular spread with no focused question (Ace/Swords = and idea with no focus, unfocused communication--that is, not even the tarot can clearly communicate with you).

The swords freak you out (9/Swords) and you decide to consult this forum (King/Swords), which makes you feel better (Strength--what a blessing! The tarot forum is there to help me understand this garbled message).

10/Swords: you're told that us readers can't help you because what you've given us is too unfocused. Your hope for an answer is "killed".....

You need to step back--4/Swords--rest your mind, and see this from a different perspective--Hanged Man.

On-line readings don't work well if the person asking about them doesn't give the reader a clear question, a clear spread and a clear background on the situation. Even though there are a lot of experts and wise folk here--King/Swords--such a lack of information with just a bunch of cards will tend to leave communication unfocused--Ace/Swords--and likely--9/Swords--to scare you with fears that might not exist and--10/Swords--to kill communication.

What do you think? Could that be what this reading is all about? Swords do relate, very much, to communication, especially verbal and in writing and certainly over the internet.

 

[Padma]

for me, personally, everything works better when I use a spread with positions clearly assigned but *that is just me*. Have you looked in the "your spreads" sub-forum? There are plenty of three-card draws in there with assigned positions, maybe one will help...?

And, btw, awesome quote, Alta

 

[Fianic]

for me, personally, everything works better when I use a spread with positions clearly assigned but *that is just me*. Have you looked in the "your spreads" sub-forum? There are plenty of three-card draws in there with assigned positions, maybe one will help...?

And, btw, awesome quote, Alta

I have the opposite experience. For me trying to fit a card to a pre set position is very limiting and very hard to make sense of a lot of the time.

Like rwcarter and quite a few others on this forum, I also use elemental dignities. But for some, they can let their intuitions fly with positionless spreads.

 

[Yineth]

I think even if you do a reading without positions, as long as you present a concentrated query for the cards the reading can still be done.

 

[Nytebugg]

I tend to do better when there is no strong positional meaning and even more so for daily type 3 card draws. Those I take as current stuff around me. They might be separate things or it might be one story. If I have to stop and "think" it interrupts my flow and I go back to book type answers. usually I get a "feeling" off of them on how I should read it.
There are a few spreads I like that have defined positions, in the spread forum, but usually those have more than 10 cards and are on specific topics.

 

[ghost271]

I often do an improv reading. I just ask a question and start drawing cards. Each one builds on the next until I get the feeling to stop, and the story that laid out was my answer. I do it all the time with great effect.