Just one card

SashaCY

So I was reading for myself and found that the tarot only made sense in the first card (was trying to read three or more per question) but only the first one made sense and it was a crystal clear sense... So I said; "OK then... I'll do it this way... Only one card per question" and got the clearest reading I have had in a while.
Is it possible that too many cards become something confusing? That the tarot chooses how to reply? Has it happened to you?
 

RiverRunsDeep

Yes!! This happens to me all of the time, and I have learned to just go with it. For practice, I continue to do regular spreads or draw 2 or 3 cards to see how they interact and create a narrative story. But the majority of my reading consists of asking a single question, shuffling, and drawing a single card. Usually that is enough, but if I want more details, I will continue to ask/shuffle/pull a single card. I can go on for quite some time in this way, having a "conversation" with my deck. By far, this method has given me the best and most accurate readings.
 

SwordOfTruth

Depends on how much infrmation you want really. The are many questions where a quick take, single card is often best. I find advice type questions are best limited to a single card. But if someone is wanting to understand all the influences on a situation then I'll do a more elaborate spread. I think just drawing x number of cards with no positional meanings can be very confusing. The very common draw three cards with no positions isn't that helpful I find.
 

sapienza

I think that one card readings work so well because there is nowhere else to go. When you have a spread in front of you, you can sometimes skim over cards if the meaning isn't obvious and as a result miss a lot of insight/info. When there is only one card you have to really look at what it is saying, contemplate the meaning on many different levels and you can't just skim over because there is no 'next card' to go to. I once did a one card reading and we spoke for almost an hour just about the imagery and meaning related to that single card. It was one of the best readings I have ever done. I agree that advice readings are best with one card.
 

SunChariot

So I was reading for myself and found that the tarot only made sense in the first card (was trying to read three or more per question) but only the first one made sense and it was a crystal clear sense... So I said; "OK then... I'll do it this way... Only one card per question" and got the clearest reading I have had in a while.
Is it possible that too many cards become something confusing? That the tarot chooses how to reply? Has it happened to you?

Anything is possible.:heart:

Absolutely, Tarot (or whatever answers us when we read, through the cards) "chooses" how to reply to each of us. It does not answer each of us in the same way. It takes into account all the complexities of who we are inside, our personalities, life experiences, ... , and talks to us in the ways we will understand best and will make the most sense to the individual who we are.

The thing about Tarot is that it is not a standardized thing. It works differently for each reader . Often, very differently. For me that is always important to understand when learning to read. "The cards" (or whatever it is that answers us when we ask questions using the cards) does not talk to each of us in the same way.

For one person, 4 cards readings may be just perfect. For another 1 card may be perfect. Tarot works differently for each reader.

It is not like is school, where you learn something and it applies in exactly the same way for everyone. 2+2 will give the same answer for everyone.

Tarot is not like that. The trick is to understand this. And no one can tell you what works best for you,. Because what works best for them will not be what works best for you. They cannot know what is best for you.

The only way YOU can know what works best for you as a reader is by doing just what you did. You tried both ways and found that 1 card works best for you. Now you know it. That is your TRUTH as a reader. At least for now. Period. No matter what works before for others, that is your truth. That one card readings for best for you. When you know that, accept that as fact and work with it.

Of course things can change. Maybe later on, something else may work better for you. But where you are now, that is what works best for you. Simple as that. Regardless of what works best for others. Anything at all is possible, the cards work differently for each of us to some extent. As you work with your cards, you will find what works best for you. When you do wotk with it and follow it.

No personally, that has not been the case for me. I do better with 3-4 cards per question, but please understand that what works for me is irrelevant to what is the best way to read for you. Its not about finding what works for the majority or readers, but about finding what works best for YOU. It's an individual thing.

What if one way of reading worked well for 90 % of readers, and for 10 % something else worked better? If you were in the 10%, it would be better for you to follow what works best for YOU than to try to follow what the other 90% were doing and to try to fit into their mold, which is not who you are.


There is right or wrong way to read. It's really just about finding what works best for you, for the individual who is you. The cards are the best ones to tell you that. You might even do a reading and ask what ways of reading would work best for you. Couldn't hurt, Tarot can answer that.

Those are my beliefs on all that,

Babs
 

Farzon

That differs individually I think. But I have experienced myself that a "reduced" reading can be more precise. However, I prefer readings with three cards or more, because the other cards can add context.

In some cases I have drawn a last card for a final piece of advice and found it pretty much sums up the whole reading.
 

Chimera Dust

Too many cards can be confusing since they require more effort to figure out how they all come together. If you want a more detailed answer or need clarification, drawing more than one card per question is a good idea.
 

SashaCY

Agree, it is most definitely personal and I'm certain the need for cards varies according to the information required....
I usually love story telling spreads. Nine cards sometimes even 21... But find myself confused amonst so many cards when my question was simple. What surprised me so much was seeing how clear one card can be for some questions.
I felt, and that is what surprised me more, that the tarot was guiding me on what to do. That was so interesting.
 

Cocobird55

I sometimes just pull one card, and I've gotten a decent reading that way.