Why the left hand?

[BrightEye]

I've found it makes no difference to me. I tend to cut the deck and draw the cards with my left hand, but last year I broke my left wrist and had to use my right hand for reading. The readings had the same accuracy.

 

[builder]

I don't personally believe that there is much significance as to whether one uses his left or right hand when cutting. I've heard one argument for using the left hand, and that was that left is "ruled" by the Moon, whilst right is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is blinding to look at, while the Moon can be looked at, the meaning being that it's easier to receive information when using left hand. I don't know if there's anything to this, I just remember reading this somewhere.

 

[littlesnowbear]

I have always automatically used the left hand it just feels more natural for me which is odd since I'm right handed.

 

[lalalibra]

Do this.

Clasp your hands together loosely, with the fingers interwoven. Look at them.

The hand that has its thumb ON TOP of the other thumb, is your magically projective hand, whilst the hand with its thumb UNDER the other thumb is your magically receptive hand. All hands can project and all hands can receive, but you'll find that the differencves in energy-work have to do with the natural thumb-position, which in only about half of all people relate to whether you're left-handed or right-handed.

Presumably, when we do a Tarot reading, we want to RECEIVE information. So it makes sense to use the hand whose thumb was below the other one.

That's so interesting, I never thought about relating it to that... Thank you for sharing!

An interesting note -- I remember learning in a biology class that there's an actual gene that determines which thumb goes on top when you naturally clasp your hands. Having the left thumb on top is the dominant gene, so it's more common. Having the right thumb on top is the recessive gene, so it's less common... For me, I naturally have my right thumb on top, making my left hand the more receptive one by those standards.

I've been cutting the deck with my left hand anyway because it had made sense to do so in considering the idea of how the left hand is controlled by the right side of the brain... And I'm also right-handed.

But I don't think we should be so strict about it with ourselves either. It's all about whatever feels right in the moment. It can be distracting to think about the mechanics of it all. It's better to let the flow extend into our very movement.

If it truly has no personal meaning to you (like if you're just cutting with a certain hand solely because a book said those were the "rules"), then you're better off just forgetting about it. The true power is in our sincerity.

 

[tarotbykathleen]

left handedness

I think I've read this before too - that cutting a deck with your left hand is recommended. Like so many random prescriptions about how to things it always struck me as strange (another is "cleansing the deck"). I had to think what hand I actually use and of course it is my left hand but I'm sure more because I'm left handed than for any other reason. I think people do have to do what feels right to them. I always splay my deck out in a fan and draw the cards randomly rather than cutting the deck and putting it back in a pile which I'll draw from because it always feels like each pick is random and fresh. I learned to do this after having read in venues whereby I'm doing one reading after another.

 

[Thirteen]

The hand that has its thumb ON TOP of the other thumb, is your magically projective hand, whilst the hand with its thumb UNDER the other thumb is your magically receptive hand. All hands can project and all hands can receive, but you'll find that the differencves in energy-work have to do with the natural thumb-position, which in only about half of all people relate to whether you're left-handed or right-handed.

Presumably, when we do a Tarot reading, we want to RECEIVE information. So it makes sense to use the hand whose thumb was below the other one.

COOL! What was that you were saying about not thinking you had much left to teach?

 

[Elendil]

I once read somewhere that 'fortune tellers' ask clients to cut cards with their left hand or offer their left hand for a palm reading so that they can see if the client is wearing a wedding ring (third finger, left hand)....and can then direct their 'insight' accordingly...

 

[nisaba]

COOL! What was that you were saying about not thinking you had much left to teach?

Um ...

 

[starrystarrynight]

...Do this.

Clasp your hands together loosely, with the fingers interwoven. Look at them.

The hand that has its thumb ON TOP of the other thumb, is your magically projective hand, whilst the hand with its thumb UNDER the other thumb is your magically receptive hand. All hands can project and all hands can receive, but you'll find that the differencves in energy-work have to do with the natural thumb-position, which in only about half of all people relate to whether you're left-handed or right-handed.

Presumably, when we do a Tarot reading, we want to RECEIVE information. So it makes sense to use the hand whose thumb was below the other one.

That IS very cool! I am right-handed, but my right thumb was below the left when I clasped hands. That happens to be the way I turn cards, too, (using my right hand) even though it "goes against" the use-the-less-dominant-hand theory that I've often heard was "the right way" to do things.

 

[geoxena]

What does it matter which hand I use to cut?

It doesn't, unless you have some physical reason (like an injury, etc.) for using a specific hand, or you pay credence to silly superstitions.

I once read somewhere that 'fortune tellers' ask clients to cut cards with their left hand or offer their left hand for a palm reading so that they can see if the client is wearing a wedding ring (third finger, left hand)....and can then direct their 'insight' accordingly...

Now, that makes sense (at least in the US and wherever else a wedding ring is worn on the left. In many countries, they wear the wedding ring on the right)!