What's YOUR reading style?

Rhinemaiden

I'm of the KISS school.... keep it simple. (I read for myself ONLY, not for - or about - others)

From my main deck I draw three cards... past/present/future (today's draw was 3 cups, moon, 5 pents).

From my corresponding decks I draw the "present" card (today - moon) to compare art, interpretation, gain further insights. I may also pull out reference books to read about the card.

Lastly I draw ONE card each from: Gilded Reverie Lenormand, Madam Endora, and Playing Card Oracle.

That's it.... no Celtic Cross, no Grand Tableau. For me, those spreads are too cluttered, too full of static. I stare at them and my head starts to spin.
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What's YOUR reading style?
 

ana luisa

I do not have many chances to read for people where I live. No Tarot fairs or Wendy's to show your art :) The three-card reading is one of my favorites but I do use other spreads. Taking part in Reading circles here on AT made me use several different spreads so you may consider that one time. It's great exercise. Like you, I NEVER go for huge spreads. They are too busy since I use images to get messages. It reminds me of people who do the Grand Tableau for the Lenormand. Geez... Never in a million years.I recently bought Tierney's deck:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/deck-of-1000-spreads/
It has been quite helpful in making up new spreads and "playing" with the meanings a bit.
I also like to mix Tarot and Oracles. But I do it the way I learned with akirafist. The main "read" is done with Tarot cards. The Oracles are used as clarifiers and giving a general feel of a certain group of cards.

Selfish question here: How on Earth do you manage to read with the Endora ? I had to wait years to buy this deck which, IMO, is gorgeous but it simply won't talk to me !! VERY frustrating...
 

Rhinemaiden

Selfish question here: How on Earth do you manage to read with the Endora ? I had to wait years to buy this deck which, IMO, is gorgeous but it simply won't talk to me !! VERY frustrating...

It may help if you treat your Madame Endora draw like a fortune cookie. A one card draw that give you an extra something to think about during the day. My draw for today was "The oracle" - "seek wisdom and guidance from elders." I love that this card draws on Ancient Egyptian art, as it's one of my passions. Today I will get out one of my Ancient Egypt books and glean wisdom from the past.

Does that help?
 

ana luisa

It may help if you treat your Madame Endora draw like a fortune cookie. A one card draw that give you an extra something to think about during the day. My draw for today was "The oracle" - "seek wisdom and guidance from elders." I love that this card draws on Ancient Egyptian art, as it's one of my passions. Today I will get out one of my Ancient Egypt books and glean wisdom from the past.

Does that help?

Yes thank you! It may indeed help break this barrier. :) I can tell you love this deck !
 

Grizabella

I like doing larger spreads. A definite question and named card positions give a reading structure, kind of like a skeleton, so I'm able to see what the cards are telling me about each aspect of the question.

Some people find the reverse is true. For them, a 3 card spread is all it takes, without positional meanings. I did that for a long time, but I like the way I do it now better.
 

danieljuk

I read for other people on here and in my friends circle but not professionally. I read for myself as well. I agree with you about keeping it simple Rhinemaiden. My fave way of doing it of all is 3 cards with no positions. I have been challenging myself with large spreads and I must do them more often! I do a whole lot of different divination methods and really into experimenting to see what happens, mixing it all up a bit.

I think my "style" is quite empathetic, almost like counselling. I like to see the problems and then offer options and solutions. I really want my readings to be helpful in some way. I know some people like the harsh truth or other styles but mine are gentle.

I realised the other day really interestingly that some people love having a question or a topic to read on, I quite like doing a general reading and working on the theme or what comes up. I like to see what comes up and the describe the whole situation without knowing it. When that comes true, and 'fits' the sitters life, it makes me so smiley :)

I am a little bit anti celtic cross but sometimes it's so useful! Spreads have a purpose and sometimes I just like freehand more :thumbsup:
 

Teheuti

Deleted as I responded when this thread was in the Tarot section. I, therefore, was speaking about my Tarot reading style. See a later post on reading oracles.
 

nisaba

I like to be useful to my clients. Most people who don't understand that Tarot is a philosophical tool, come to a reader (at least in my community) with a problem or a dilemma, or a set of them, and they often don't want to tell you what it is (like the person who goes to the doctor and doesn't tell them the symptoms).

So for the majority of my clients my approach is to look for strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and pitfalls, and then for suggestions as to how they can make the most of the positives and avoid or prepare for the negatives.

If a person arrives tense and leaves relieved, I feel I have been useful and I have done my job. I don't have to get deep every time, and I don't have to stay on the one track. I also feel that I cannot actually tell a client what to do in a given situation in their life: even if there is an obvious course of action, I can only recommend it and point out that any actual decision-making in their lives has to be done by them, not by me.

Recently I had a client who wanted to spend the reading talking about the complicated property-issues that emerged when their partner died. So that was what we looked at. A week later they turned up, asking me why I hadn't predicted the car accident they on the way home from seeing me. Well, plainly because I was asked to read on a definite limited topic! Which I knew was upsetting and unsettling, and at the end of the reading, I *did* recommend that they go to a café, have a coffee and sit down for a while. It would have been grounding and calming, and may have prevented the accident. <sigh>
 

ravenest

Good advice ... after any 'magical operation' (even tarot ...also, for some, it is a 'psychological operation' ) all good advice points the same way.

Much better to have a cup of tea and a biscuit after such things and NOT go off and cross a busy road

- Warning; do not operate heavy machinery until effects subside -
 

ctrymaus

I'm of the KISS school.... keep it simple. (I read for myself ONLY, not for - or about - others)

From my main deck I draw three cards... past/present/future (today's draw was 3 cups, moon, 5 pents).

From my corresponding decks I draw the "present" card (today - moon) to compare art, interpretation, gain further insights. I may also pull out reference books to read about the card.

Lastly I draw ONE card each from: Gilded Reverie Lenormand, Madam Endora, and Playing Card Oracle.

That's it.... no Celtic Cross, no Grand Tableau. For me, those spreads are too cluttered, too full of static. I stare at them and my head starts to spin.
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What's YOUR reading style?

Is this the Playing Card Oracle you're talking about: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/playing-card-oracles/ ?

I have the Gilded Reverie and Madame Endora, but I don't use either very much. I just couldn't ever get into reading with them. I'm more an intuitive reader.

I usually just do a one-card draw at night...or sometimes a three-card with no fixed positions. But I do like to try other spreads, as long as they are not too complicated. No more than seven cards for sure! I like three card spreads the most.

CountryMouse