ADEPT LEVEL, Step 17 . . . 21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card

It's time to move onward to step 17 of the Adept Level, 21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card. In this step we are addressing BODY LANGUAGE of both the card's figure(s) and of the querent.

Our card symbols evoke powerful images, thoughts and feelings within us and within those whom we read for. These reactions tend to become quite visible to the experienced reader. More importantly, addressing those observations is a great way to create a deep dialog between the reader and querent, a process that benefits each greatly.

There are three sides to this issue of body language, as I see it. A given card will present impressions to the querent based on posture and context. What are those impressions? The querent may directly react, body-wise, to the card as it is discussed --- why are those reactions experienced? Finally, the reader sees the card, sees the querent, sees the interactions --- does the reader feel comfortable addressing some possible reactions?

Curiosity, trust, confidence in your reading skills, sincerity in helping others are only some of the issues that play into a reading relative to body language. This should be an enlightening step, find a partner to read for, have fun. Dave.

Dave's Step 17:3

We are asked to:
1) Watch for subtle physical reactions as you turn over each card.
2) Keep in touch with that spontaneious sensation as you focus on what you are experiencing inside.
3) Wait until something comes into awareness.
4) Describe it with gestures, words or noises. How does it feel? What is wanted? What is needed?
5) From others, watch for a physical reaction, tell them what you saw.

I picked up my old friend, the Fey FOOL. Sitting in my desk chair, my hands went up about face high, palms outward. Ahaa. A smile. The Fool's complete astonishment at finding the jack-o-lantern/pumpkin-face always excites me. I consider this card the most innovative Fool card ever created.

Two faces, face to face. One glowing, scouring, radiating warm light. The other face reflects that light, a wondrous and puzzled look is amplified by the poised hand at his throat. I wonder if the many keys are jangling and disturbing the Fool's sense of astonishment. Does the pumpkin feel hot? Will he keep it and carry it with him, it is dark around him? It is easy to picture the Fool coming upon this glowing pumpkin but it's impossible to imagine what he'll do next as he is completely spellbound by his finding. The space between the two faces seems "tense" in some way.

Next, I drew the Fey SUN card, a Fey sits on a hay-covered hillside with billowing clouds above, in the glow of a large sun. This is a "memory" card, carrying me back to the fields and woods near where I lived at 14 years of age. That place had a large pine tree and a couple of cedar or arbor-vitae like trees, a circle of stones, all on a little rise of land that was more clear than treed, with stone walls near by. I would go there, sit in the sun and whittle on some wood. Pine's make a very special noise as the wind moves through them, very calming, a soft whooshing almost hushed to a quiet level. That moving noise or breath of air, the warm sun, the smell of wood, the hard stones all contributed to a special solitude. This Fey enjoys his solitude also, along with the warmth --- you can almost smell the field. This card wants you to sit back in the chair and stop typing. By rubbing my palms over my closed eyes I can almost go back to that private spot, and I can actually sense a surrounding area of cedar smell and noise and warmth and hardness with softness mixed in.

In Tai Chi class we learned a yoga ritual of sequentially touching our thumb, using each hand, to our index finger and associating it with a calming event out of our life's experiences, then the same for each succeeding finger. The above Sun card needs to be added into that ritual. Any extra fingers?

This has been a softer way to link into our cards. At least for me. I hope each of you have such nice experiences. I've attached images of these two cards. Dave.

17:3
Using Victorian Romantic

I shuffled and laid three cards side by side. With the turning of the first card(9 of wands), my intital reaction went from a neutral to a tense feeling. Having seen this card in a prior read and, remembering what it meant then, it felt familiar but a little heavy.
With that, I felt the need to take a deep breath and as I turned the second(7 of wands), I became somewhat relaxed.
I don't believe I felt any tension, but I suppose there was some to a certain degree because when I turned my last card(2 of swords), thats when everything seemed to just melting away.
I definitely felt a relief and peace at the end of it all.

I also read for my mom with the VR who showed emotions ranging from steady/neutral to wondering/observing and finally a happy/smiling body language. It was a quiet read considering that she remembered this deck by saying:"that was the deck you used to read for me right before I broke my wrist!" I had totally forgotten. At the time, no Tower showed up, instead, it was the VR Lovers with Baccus and the mermaid. This same pic that serves as cover for my VR journal. Upon looking at the way Baccus was holding onto that mermaid, my mom said: "that was exactly how he picked me up, exactly!"
I'm glad that this time around, the read seemed more tame and grounded, I think

An interesting read

Squeaks, that was interesting in terms of the tie-ins. Our cards do come to mean something to us, card by card and life experience by life experience. I can say that these many exercises have let me bond with my chosen deck very closely and in ways I never imagined. What a learning experience this has been for us all. And we still have new members starting off. Dave