The Non-Spread spread

I hope I've placed this thread in the proper category. (If not, I thank the Mods for moving it to the place where it's most appropriate.)

I've been experimenting with the Non-Spread spread, whereas the sitter will ask their question, and instead of using a specific spread, with specific positional meanings, I simply draw five or more cards and allow those cards to tell the story. So far I've had a modicom of success, but need to do some more research.

I wonder; Does anyone else use this non-spread approach, and if so, what do you consider it's strengths or weaknesses?

Do you feel that such a method gives more information or less?

Have you been able to develop a complete picture, and gain different insight into the sitters question than you would have using a spread with named positions, or do you feel that less information is gained?

How does it affect your sitter? Do they feel as if their questions are being answered in a more complete way?

What do you like, or dislike about such an approach?



Cheers,
DE

This is something that I do here and there. Usually for specific questions, not for a general reading.
Sometimes when someone comes to me with a question, I just don't feel a particular spread fits.
And there are times where I pull a certain number of cards and look at the whole picture, and there are other times where I just pull one at a time and start with what each card tells me on it's own and then put them together if it feels they are trying to show me something together. With that approach, I keep pulling one card until I feel the information they are looking for has come across and they have received the answers they need.
I have had just as much luck and accuracy with this method as with doing spreads. I go with how I feel at the time about the question posed.

HeatherRose said:

Sometimes when someone comes to me with a question, I just don't feel a particular spread fits.

Click to expand...

This has happened to me quite often. Very recently, in fact. The sitter's issue is ongoing and complicated, so I decided to let the cards tell me what they would. Sure enough, accuracy concerning the sitter's situation. It seemed to me that I got a really good grasp of the real time aspects.

I do that more often than not for smaller draws for myself - generally 3 card daily draws with no question. It tends to make me read them with stress on the way the figures are moving toward (or away from) one another, their relative sizes, what they're looking at (or avoiding) in the next card, etc. -- rather than traditional card meanings. The story may go from right to left, out from the middle...

The pros of the non-spread 3 cards are that I'm willing to be open to whatever the cards point to, and the message tends to be short and straight to the point.


For specific big questions, I've been reading with spreads of usually 6 to 9 cards, and incorporating more of the traditional meanings. I'll relate different positions to one another and pay special attention to what I'm missing when a card is unexpected or seems out of place in a position, taking it as a sign that there's something to uncover.

The pros of spreads are that they organize my thoughts and help me realize or accept aspects of a situation. In a way it feels more like a helpful and emotional conversation than an answer or single message.


(Lately I'm trying new ways of reading, so this may change again. For years I just did small spreads with set positions. EDIT: And as you can probably tell, I mostly read for myself, so can't speak to your other questions.)

Good thread.

Rose Lalonde said:

I do that more often than not for smaller draws for myself - generally 3 card daily draws with no question. It tends to make me read them with stress on the way the figures are moving toward (or away from) one another, their relative sizes, what they're looking at (or avoiding) in the next card, etc. -- rather than traditional card meanings. The story may go from right to left, out from the middle...

The pros of the non-spread 3 cards are that I'm willing to be open to whatever the cards point to, and the message tends to be short and straight to the point.

Click to expand...

That's what I'm discovering as well. I'm thinking that this might be the sort of reading to use when reading at faires and festivals, when there are so many people who want readings. This just happened to me at a faire I did, and after 4 hours of explaining the spread to my clients, I started to get dizzy. I think it might be easier to just lay them out, and tell the tale.

I definitely agree with you on the spreads helping to organise my thoughts. Sometimes that structure is exactly what I need.

i use non-spreads almost exclusively. i find there is so much information in just one card, let alone three!

i usually let the question of the sitter determine the spread. let's say the question is, how can i make sure i don't frit away my free day? (the question i had this morning ). first i feel into which deck is the right deck for the question. when it's a reading for someone else, i often give them a choice of two to four decks. then this question - i might use three cards: what might this day be like? what are some things or attitudes that would help to take advantage of this day? what might i want to avoid?

sometimes i let the sitter determine how many cards and how to place them. that in itself can give some very interesting insights, especially combined with the first question i ask them, "what do you see here?" it's fascinating to notice how very different that can be from what i perceive.

another non-spread method i've used is to choose a bunch of cards from the deck and just let them fall on the ground (best done on the floor). then i feel for which cards "belong" and which ones don't. with the remaining cards i try to pay close attention to how they fell and read accordingly.

all of this probably only works for mostly intuitive readers

I've never been a fan of spreads. I always use a very simple 9 card "spread" (3 rows of 3) and just start. I've found that the information I need always comes through and I'm more open to interpret the cards in relationship to one another, rather than to a specific location and predefined meaning.

I honestly hate using spreads, I spent more time trying to make the card fit the spread then reading what was there.