Shuffling The Cards
Anyone who has ever taken any of my classes or has been to my lectures knows how important it is to shuffle the cards well. Shuffling helps put the vibrations of the Querent and you into the cards to help give an accurate and objective reading. The person doing the reading relies on the accuracy of the cards, so getting as many energy patterns into the cards as you can is always best.
Shuffling the cards completes the circle of energy. You are shuffling the cards and your energy goes into the cards while the energy of the cards goes back into you.
The following is the shuffling method I use and suggest. Even though it is a bit longer to do, I truly believe that it gives you a much more precise reading.
1) Shuffle the whole deck of cards until you feel comfortable that you have shuffled them enough. As you are shuffling, you should either say out loud or in your mind, “I seek insight into (name)’s life for the next year.” Repeat this as many times as you feel you must. You may want to say it out loud the first time someone is coming to you for a reading so that they will understand how to do the shuffling and what to say when it is their turn. Say it with them a few times to be sure they know what is expected of them.
2) Cut the deck into three piles with your left hand. Vibrations come in the left side of your body and leave the right side, so you want to pull the vibrations of the cards through your body and back out into the deck as you are dealing them. By doing that, your energy vibrations and the cards become one. In essence, you are making a complete circle of an energy patterns.
3) Shuffle each pile again until you feel comfortable. You do not have to shuffle the cards for a set time period or a number of shuffles, but you will intuitively know when it is time to stop. You should also explain this to your Querent. However, sometimes when there are time constraints such as five-minute readings at a corporate party or holiday event, do not let the client shuffle for three minutes if the total time allotted them is five. Let them shuffle a few times and put your left hand out to receive the cards.
4) Hand the cards to your Querent and explain the above three steps. Shuffle all the cards, make three piles, shuffle each pile, put them back into one pile in any order she wishes and return them to you with her left hand.
5) Now you are ready to deal the cards into whichever spread you had determined before dealing them. I use the Year Ahead Spread, the Astrological Spread, or the Modified Celtic Cross (I use twelve cards so that if someone has a question regarding a particular month, I can answer without having to do an extra yes/no spread).
If you do not feel comfortable with my suggested way of shuffling, shuffle your own way. Whichever way you choose is fine just always BE CONSISTENT! Consistency is very important in tarot so that the universe will know how you are dealing and reading the cards to help with the interpretations of the information you require.
Remember that this book is only one source of knowledge. Take whatever you need from this book and get information from other sources as well. Tarot is an on-going learning experience so learn all you can. If everyone received the same information, then all tarot readers would be identical and thus, not needed. All readers interpret the cards differently, but it is okay to get a firm foundation of the cards’ meanings and then adding your own style or flavor into your reading.
Be aware that nothing is written in stone. That is why I was compelled to write this book. I felt there was a different way of reading the cards than all the books I had studied. Whatever feels right for you IS right for you. My method of reading the cards is certainly right for me and has helped thousands of students throughout the years learn tarot without being frustrated, overwhelmed, or confused. It has also helped them read the tarot quickly and easily within twelve hours or so, not the usual years it used to take.
Be truthful, but tactful. Never hide the truth, but ask questions or make suggestions that may help with your Querent’s decisions. Remember, if you see something that looks like a medical problem, ask, “When was the last time you had a physical examination?” and be done with it. You are giving the person a pro-active role in his or her own life.
- Your ethics should be above reproach. Never tell anyone that a loved one is going to die – that is up to God, not you. And just imagine if you were wrong! The anguish and anxiety that you had caused that person and family would be horrendous. Never take on that responsibility. Never use the cards as a means of spying on people or wanting to know something that is none of your business. You may have the Querent ask about family and close friends out of a sincere love for them, but never about frivolous things. Tarot is a serious study and should be considered as such. Of course, if you have some time left at the end of a session, your client can certainly ask a few more questions than she originally wanted to ask. You can then do yes/no spreads or get answers from the original twelve cards in the year ahead spread.
- After doing a spread, look at the cards. Notice if there are more wands, pentacles, swords, or cups. Each pertains to a different area of life, but in a spread it is very common for two suits be dominant. If there are mostly wands, a job or career is the real reason they are seeking insight; Pentacles mean money-related issues, usually worries, concerns and challenges. Swords pertain to conflicts, arguments, or people attacking your integrity or honor. Cups mean love, happiness, joy, and prosperity in all areas of life.
- How many cards are upright? How many are reversed? Even though we do not use reversed cards as negative going in the new millennium, I still make note of them because they still can be areas of potential trouble if the Querent is not aware of them. The more upright cards, the easier the next year will be. The more reversed, the more challenging the year will be. Word your statements carefully. (For instance, if you have eight reversed cards and four upright, you can always say, “I see you have had many challenges this past year. It does not look as if they are all going to be resolved immediately, but it seems that you will be working on resolving them a little at a time.” I also like to say, “If you are more pro-active about your choices, you will minimize the time frame before your issues will be resolved.”
It is much better than saying, “This year looks worse than last year.” Be selective in what words you use and give as much hope as possible to your client, friend or family member.
- Notice how many Major Arcana cards are in the spread.
NO MAJOR ARCANA CARDS
means that God has decided to let you handle your own responsibilities and issues in the next year. This is the time for you to take charge of your own responsibilities and take control of your life.
ONE OR TWO MAJOR ARCANA CARDS
usually signify that God, Angels, Spirit, The One, The Source, The All, The Universe, or whomever your client believes in, will be there if they need guidance, but she must ask for that help or pray for assistance. The client may also need to reconnect with their church, temple or mosque. Be sure to find out if your client believes in God, Angels, Spirit, etc., since there is no faster way of losing a client’s trust and interest than when you start referring to something in which they do not believe. If you are reading for an atheist or a Pagan, try using, “The Universal Energies” as your guiding force.
THREE OR MORE MAJOR ARCANA CARDS
means that God has decided to guide you in the upcoming year since you may have already gone through too many changes and decisions during the past year; you will be guided on the right path and given the information or intuitive insight you need to succeed and get on with your life in a positive manner. It is your job to let the Querent know what is going on in her life and what help, if any, will be forthcoming in the way of guidance from God.
The more Major Arcana that appear in the spread, just note that this person will have a great next year, (or whatever your time frame was) but it also indicates that their “last year” (yesterday back a year) was very difficult and overwhelming. These people need to know that their hardships are at an end.
