Sabian Symbols: How do you select your symbols?

Elven

Hi Everyone...

I got to thinking the other day about the way in which I usually draw the symbols and wondered if there are other ways you find successful and work for you.

I shuffle my cards with a specific question in mind, and I do this until I think I have the question 'shuffled' into the cards. Sometimes I will say the question out loud and repeat it a few times.

I then cut the cards into three piles and put them back together. I then fan the deck length wise and choose the two most central cards which are in a pair (1 red and 1 blue). If there are more than one pair of cards touching in the centre, I choose the two which stand out the most to me. I do this very quickly as if I deliberate, I am indecisive and umm and ahh over which ones to pick.

This I find is a great method for me. Theres only one thing I find frustrating.

This occurs when I want to do a spread of which has - lets say - 5 placements. Usually I have shuffled, and cut the deck into three, and then fanned them and chosen the Symbols (one set) for the first placement. Then I do the shuffling for the next placement again, fan them out and choose. This happens for every placement in the spread. It is very time consuming. I have done it this way because I thought it more thorough - using a full deck every time.

I have been working on another method of choosing the cards at the moment.
I am just experimenting with one overall question for the spread - lets say again - with 5 placements , shuffling, cutting and fanning and then choosing the 5 sets of symbols (10 cards) from the one 'fanning'.

I am aware, doing it this way, that there is not the possibility of getting the same Astrological Signs and Numbers twice, but I am seeing that the Symbols can still acurately give much definition to the spread. This is only I guess speculation - I mean - I dont know if I had would have drawn the same symbols drawing them all seperately.

Has anyone, or does anyone use this method? Do you feel that this is just as appropriate as shuffling for every placement?

Do you have any other methods of drawing the symbols for spread placements?

Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Blessings
Elven x
 

Pipistrelle

Two questions

First:
How do you select your symbols for readings? Currently, I have fallen into a method of dealing all the cards out in to rows - red ones together, blue ones together, no particular number of cards in each row. Then I choose a red one and a blue one at random. My rational mind tells me this is a stupid method, however, so far (3 draws) the results have been very interesting.

Second:
Has anyone else noticed correspondences between elements of sabian symbols and tarot cards where they are drawn together? For example, yesterday my symbol was Gemini 9 (Air) and my tarot card Queen of Swords (Air). Today, my symbol was Scorpio 26 (Water) and my tarot card King of Cups. It's possible these are just two coincidences but it's interesting nonetheless.

Pip
 

mooncat2

Pipistrelle said:
First:
How do you select your symbols for readings? Currently, I have fallen into a method of dealing all the cards out in to rows - red ones together, blue ones together, no particular number of cards in each row. Then I choose a red one and a blue one at random. My rational mind tells me this is a stupid method, however, so far (3 draws) the results have been very interesting.

I don't think it's at all stupid.......to be honest I don't think it matters how you draw them. I simply shuffle them, fan them out in my hand and choose.
The results continue to amaze me in their relevance to what's happening in my life.

Can't answer your second question as I'm not drawing daily tarot cards at present. :)
 

Elven

Pipistrelle said:
First:
How do you select your symbols for readings? Currently, I have fallen into a method of dealing all the cards out in to rows - red ones together, blue ones together, no particular number of cards in each row. Then I choose a red one and a blue one at random. My rational mind tells me this is a stupid method, however, so far (3 draws) the results have been very interesting.

I agree with mooncat2, I dont think it studid either, and I dont think it matters how you draw them! :)
I shuffle and cut for the question, then I kind of splay them out in a line in one swoop. Which ever two red and blue are touching each other and in my 'special spot' (the same spot on my cloth each time) - then thats the two I pick up. It works for me, but I think everyone has a diferent method of choosing the Symbols. What ever you feel comfortable with is the right way!
Just to let you, I like your method!


Pipistrelle said:
Second:
Has anyone else noticed correspondences between elements of sabian symbols and tarot cards where they are drawn together? For example, yesterday my symbol was Gemini 9 (Air) and my tarot card Queen of Swords (Air). Today, my symbol was Scorpio 26 (Water) and my tarot card King of Cups. It's possible these are just two coincidences but it's interesting nonetheless.

Sometimes I take notice of this because it does happen, just like sometimes I'll draw a Capricorn, Taurus or Virgo card and then a pentacle with pop up, or the same number degree and the same number card. Im not very good with Astrology, but I do Numerology and I find that when they do corespond numerically, I can add another layer to the reading.

I have a few readings I could look up and see if they correspond, just out of interest, but I think MCsea has done quite a few readings, maybe she could shed some light on it.

Many Blessings
Elven x
 

sunflowr

Elven said:
I agree with mooncat2, I dont think it studid either, and I dont think it matters how you draw them! :)
I shuffle and cut for the question, then I kind of splay them out in a line in one swoop. Which ever two red and blue are touching each other and in my 'special spot' (the same spot on my cloth each time) - then thats the two I pick up. It works for me, but I think everyone has a diferent method of choosing the Symbols. What ever you feel comfortable with is the right way!
Just to let you, I like your method!

You shuffle the red and blue cards together? Hmm, interesting! And I like this "special spot" on your cloth. Is that for every reading (like even with tarot?)?
 

Lynda

Shuffling cards

I reckon it doesn't matter how you shuffle or lay out the cards - the Symbols ensure you get the Symbol you need. I feel that very strongly. When I do my lectures I always say "there's only one rule and that is that there are no rules" - familiar rule for sure, but it especially applies to the Symbols (well, probably to all oracles, I imagine). I said many times that you could "stand on your head and juggle and think of a number and it would work"....

Having said that, it's great to have your own rituals around what you do. The rituals help you to 'cement' the act in your mind and heart. This gives more power to the act because we come at it with reverence or structure (words escape me here for the moment). Some people keep the red and blue cards sepapate, some people don't. I'm sure some people don't particularly trust the Oracle up on my website as it's computer generated. For me, there are no 'mistakes'... but I fully encourage people to do what they like doing with them. Drawing Oracles 'should' (don't like that word particularly!) have a sense of reverence and ritual.

But truly, it doesn't matter how you pull a Symbol.

Here's something I wrote that you might enjoy. Interesting that the 'Open Grave" - Taurus 5 - degree keeps coming up - (I'm so often drawn to it).

"One such time was during a workshop I was giving on the Symbols in the mid 70’s in New Zealand. During the first part of my lecture, a woman at the back of the class asked if she could use numerology to come up with a Sabian Symbol. The woman was in her mid 50’s, blonde and pretty and had her daughter sitting next to her. I replied that it didn’t matter what system one used to come up with a Symbol, there would be meaning in it. I continued on and some minutes later, huge peals of laughter came from the back of the room. I said “come on now, you’ve got to tell us what you’re laughing about!” She told the class that she’d added up the numbers in her name and it came to 35. She’d looked up the Sabian Symbol on page 35 and the Symbol was so extraordinary to her that she just exploded, laughing. The Symbol is Taurus 5: A Youthful Widow, Fresh and Soul Cleansed From Grief, Kneels at an Open Grave to Discover the Secret of Eternal Life. Her husband had been generous enough to build a coffin for her! Her daughter was in hysterics, as you can probably imagine. The woman said that the coffin was stored in their garage and every time she drove in and out of the garage, she was confronted by her own coffin. I said “that’s very nice of him, why on earth did he do that?” She said it was to save money and added that he’d built one for himself, so their two coffins stood on end, side-by-side in her garage. Needless to say, she was brought face-to-face with her own mortality every time she saw the coffins."

That was a moment I'll never forget!

Greetings from DownUnder
Lynda
 

Elven

Sunflowr said:
You shuffle the red and blue cards together? Hmm, interesting! And I like this "special spot" on your cloth. Is that for every reading (like even with tarot?)?

Hi Sunflowr, I just wanted to say, that this method of drawing the symbols took me about 6-12 months to come across and about another couple of weeks to feel confident with. I tried lots of different methods before I decided on this one. I still only cut the deck once for each set of questions, but shuffle for each seperate question.
I shuffle both colours together too.

Thats the fun part though, you really can interact with the symbols the way that you want.

Tarot is different for me. I shuffle, cut into 3 piles with my left hand, put them back together with my left hand, and deal with my left hand. If Im drawing a Tarot card for a Symbol its the same, I just take the first card off the top of the Tarot deck for it.

As Lynda, says, theres no one way you should do it. All the ways I tried worked, I just found I liked the method I chose out of all of them :)

Blessings
Elven x
 

Elven

Hi All,

I just thought I'd post and make an offer to anyone who is interested in using some Glass Bead Symbols I have made. I have 3 sets that could do with a good home, as I have been doing a little bit of experimenting with them. They are an amber colour with a slight sheen and they have the numbers and astrological signs etched into the glass. They are in a little draw string bag - sort of like runes. They're not perfect, but Im still getting used to engraving, but they're made with lots of love and enthusiasm.

You can post and then pm me if you would like them. Just let me know! :)

Many Blessings
Elven x
 

MCsea

Oh me!!

Please OH ME..
IF you have any left..

I know Sabian Symbols are a part of my path.. so Im officially a SS junkie..

Ill PM you too..

Marina
 

sunflowr

Elven said:
Hi All,

I just thought I'd post and make an offer to anyone who is interested in using some Glass Bead Symbols I have made. I have 3 sets that could do with a good home, as I have been doing a little bit of experimenting with them. They are an amber colour with a slight sheen and they have the numbers and astrological signs etched into the glass. They are in a little draw string bag - sort of like runes. They're not perfect, but Im still getting used to engraving, but they're made with lots of love and enthusiasm.

You can post and then pm me if you would like them. Just let me know! :)

Many Blessings
Elven x

You have a PM! :) Would love a set!