3-card spreads-how do you do non-positional?

[Fortuna]

Greetings!

I hope this is the right place for this... Sorry, Moderators, if not.

I have been trying to figure out my own style in reading non-positional linear 3 card readings. I don't normally do reversals but I have tried it for some of my reading offers to see if it could provide more information. Then I started to do 3 card readings using elemental dignities, shadow, and quint, and learning from others how they do that. Then there was LB's Personal Prophecy's version.

Suffice to say, I have grown more confused! I don't think there is a right or wrong way in reading. It really is what feels right to the reader, right?

Watching the threads... Some readers read 3 card reading without reversals or even elemental dignities and it seems to be okay. This was how I first started but I don't know... I think I lost confidence after trying to learn other ways of reading, and because of this, I am sticking to spread readings for more structure until I figure this issue for me out.

How do you read 3-card non-positional, linear readings? Do you do reversals? Do you use elemental dignities, the quint, and shadow cards?

Any help is appreciated!!

Blessings!
Fortuna

 

[Ambience]

I use 3 cards usually - past , present, future or just freeflowing and have a clarity card and shadow card.

If i'm reading for others in person i read from pure intuition, whatever comes to me from the cards. I don't take on board any of the card meanings, purely what comes out of the cards as being significant. I see past the cards and use them as a focal point.

If i read for myself i often use standard card meanings as it's too hard to use intuition on myself alot of the time.

If i read on the forum i try do both.

I find it hard to weave a story logically and if no intuitive hit comes i'm often stuck for what to think.

I don't do reversals. I sense if the card is negative or not and consider the reversed meaning.

 

[Fortuna]

Thanks, Ambience! I want to do intuitive readings, but I am having issues trusting the flow, per my Spirit Guides, especially since I am not 100% well. I think my logical mind competes with my intuition.

My concern is mostly 3-card readings without positions. I can seem to do 5 cards, just not 3 lol. Then I saw a tutorial online also for how to look for obstacles or where the figures are looking and I just am sooo confused now with all the information and data.

Thank you for your insight though. I will try to meditate more and try to include a lot more intuition in my readings. Sometimes they do come out when ego is not paying attention. Lol

 

[Xrysalida]

I usually read the cards intuitively and then I gaze them and think all their attributes, all I remember of course! I am practising tarot only a year now so I haven;t end up on many things, like reversals, I also get confuse sometimes when I don't understand a spread, I start to think about what I read and I loose connection.
At the beginning I didn't read rx's but then I felt that I maybe "lost" some info, like you said also, and I reversed half of the deck, I didn't like it at all! it made me stressed! so I left oonly 20 cards of the deck rx, I change them every 1 - 2 weeks.

From what I have understand of how tarot works, is that the reader will decide how they will work, so I think that choosing the positions or the meanings that you feel most comfortable and flawless and read with them, is the way to do, if after a long experimentation nothing have satisfied you then maybe you should try designing your own style!

 

[Fortuna]

Hi Xrysalida,

Yeah, it's all confusing and I hope I can figure out my style. I still don't want to use reversals and like you, I feel that important information will be lost. That was why I started to learn other things like elemental dignities, etc. I seem to make things more complicated!

Thank you for sharing. I might try to reverse only a few and see what it is like for me.

 

[nisaba]

I just look at the cards, and let them tell me whatever story they want to tell me.

 

[Fortuna]

I just look at the cards, and let them tell me whatever story they want to tell me.

Thanks, Nisaba. BTW, your timing method is pretty cool. I am going to use playing cards for it; Although, I used your timing within the reading (not using another card, but looked up the timing on the main card) and it came true with your timing.

 

[rwcarter]

There are many ways to do three card non-positional readings. You already know about EDs. You could also start at the left and weave a story moving to the right (without it necessarily turning into a past/present/future reading).

You could also weave your story based on how/if the characters are looking at each other. If there are characters in each of the outer cards and they're looking at each other, the center card could be the topic of their discussion. If one looks to the other, but the other looks away or out of the card, that tells a different story. And if both characters look away from each other, they're obviously not communicating and the card between is probably where the bone of contention is. You can do the same with adjacent cards, but then you have to figure out how to integrate the 3rd card.

HTH,
Rodney

 

[Fortuna]

There are many ways to do three card non-positional readings. You already know about EDs. You could also start at the left and weave a story moving to the right (without it necessarily turning into a past/present/future reading).

You could also weave your story based on how/if the characters are looking at each other. If there are characters in each of the outer cards and they're looking at each other, the center card could be the topic of their discussion. If one looks to the other, but the other looks away or out of the card, that tells a different story. And if both characters look away from each other, they're obviously not communicating and the card between is probably where the bone of contention is. You can do the same with adjacent cards, but then you have to figure out how to integrate the 3rd card.

HTH,
Rodney

Hi Rodney,

Thanks! I just watched tutorials in that last week. I am still wrapping my head around elemental dignities.

I think my concern is that I won't be able to read the cards right if I just keep them upright and I don't use other things like ED or other things.

I think I will practice with where they look and if there are obstacles like walls, etc. Thanks!

Do you use ED?

 

[rwcarter]

These days I don't do a whole lot of readings, so I don't use EDs regularly. But if it might help you to see them in action, take a look at Elemental Dignities Study Group Discussion & Index Thread. The study group fell off due to a lack of posts, but I'm happy to start it up again if folks are going to actually participate.

FTR though, I don't use reversals. I incorporate the full spectrum of meanings into the upright image of the card. So in a given interpretation I may give a more reversed slant to the upright card.