Do you memorize the positions? About spreads.

[Citrin]

I often read "free form" with no spread, but when I do use a spread I usually first memorize the positions. I feel like I have to know them when shuffling the cards so that the right card goes in the right position if you know what I mean?

I think this is the reason why I stay away from spreads larger than 5-6 cards lol I have a bad short term memory.

Recently it hit me not all readers do this? I've seen people use spreads with up to 25-30 cards and that makes me think that they after dealing the cards read up on the positions as they go along with the reading... Or they have worked with that spread for a looong time.

So now I'm just curious here - how do you work with spreads? Do you memorize the positions before using the spread, or do you trust that the cards fall into the right positions even though you haven't got them right at that time in your mind? Thoughts?

 

[Cenozoic]

I just lay out the cards, and then read the spread positions after. I can't remember the positions since I also have a bad memory, unless I drill them into my head through practice. I usually use free-form though! I've read with the entire deck several times with free-form, and it still works, it's really fun but it burns you out lol.

 

[celticnoodle]

another bad memory here, which is why I generally stick to one of 3 ways to read the cards for customers. The first is free form. I throw out 3 cards at a time reading them left to right and just continue on till I feel the reading is done, (generally 20-30 minutes).

The other spread I will use is a 3 card spread. that's it. 3 cards. past-present-future. I rarely use that spread, but now and again I will depending on the situation.

The other spread I use was one I was taught when I first started to read. It is pretty basic as well, and has 15 cards. A 15 card spread generally seems to impress the customers, but quite honestly the free form reading I do often has at least 20 some cards in it and sometimes as much as 30! However, I will do this 15 card spread for those who ask for it.
It is layed out in 5 sets of 3. The first 3 that are read are all about the present time, the 2nd set of 3 is about the past that influences the customer in the present time and then the rest of the 3 card sets are for the future. Immediate future to 3 mos time, 3-6 mos. time and 6-9mos/a years time. It tends to be very accurate with the timing attached to it. But as far as needing to know exactly what a specific position of the card means, no. I stay away from that for my customers for the most part.

 

[moon_light]

If I don't have the spread memorized, I read through the positions as I'm shuffling.

 

[Nemia]

I used to make sketches in my tarot journal (and had a number of spreads I knew really well) until I bought the Deck of 1000 Spreads. It really helps to have the spread position written over the card... if one is easily overwhelmed by visuals like me.

 

[ruski_svet]

Hehe, Citrin. I gave up on really complicated spreads, too.
You'll probably have standbys that you're really comfortable with. These go beyond "memorized"- you can feel the placing and flow of the spread into a reading.

Divination is too fluid to be crammed into many predetermined spots. Laying out the whole deck is one thing, but if each card has to have its spot it would drive me crazy.

 

[Grizabella]

I often make up my own spreads as I go. It's very simple, really. All you do is think of the matter you want to read on and then whatever questions you have within that question. For instance, say you're looking for reasons why something happened. Your spread "title" would be "why am I not getting along with my spouse?" Then you could think of a few areas where you've got difficulty and assign each a card or cards.

You can do a "what if I do, what if I don't?" and draw three cards for "what if I do" and three more for "what if I don't?"

I have a few spreads I've memorized over the course of several years of using them, too. It just comes with time.

What I did for awhile was take some muslin and I used a Sharpie pen to draw out some spreads on pieces of that fabric with their questions written beside them. After using them for awhile, I just memorized the positions without trying. You know how that goes---after you do something awhile, you memorize it "by accident".

I find that specific spreads are easier to read and give better information sometimes than just putting out non-specific spreads. Think of it as baking a cake. If you follow the recipe of how much of each ingredient you use in making a cake, you're probably going to end up with a better cake than if you just throw in some flour, shortening, sugar, eggs and baking powder in non-specific amounts.

 

[RavenDarkWind]

I mostly just do three-card spreads, with no meaning based on the positions. But I still have a variant of the Celtic Cross etched into the back of my mind, as I'm sure a lot of tarot readers do, whether they admit it or not.

 

[nisaba]

I often read "free form" with no spread, but when I do use a spread I usually first memorize the positions. I feel like I have to know them when shuffling the cards so that the right card goes in the right position if you know what I mean?

I think this is the reason why I stay away from spreads larger than 5-6 cards lol I have a bad short term memory. :

I only use my own spreads unless I am in a reading circle here. I know the positions of them inside-out.

But often I haven't yet decided which spread I'm going to use until after I stop shuffling. Even so, all the right cards manage to be in the right order at the top of the deck.

 

[SunChariot]

I often read "free form" with no spread, but when I do use a spread I usually first memorize the positions. I feel like I have to know them when shuffling the cards so that the right card goes in the right position if you know what I mean?

I think this is the reason why I stay away from spreads larger than 5-6 cards lol I have a bad short term memory.

Recently it hit me not all readers do this? I've seen people use spreads with up to 25-30 cards and that makes me think that they after dealing the cards read up on the positions as they go along with the reading... Or they have worked with that spread for a looong time.

So now I'm just curious here - how do you work with spreads? Do you memorize the positions before using the spread, or do you trust that the cards fall into the right positions even though you haven't got them right at that time in your mind? Thoughts?

I don't personally use spreads much either but when I do, no I don't memorize them. I do read them over a couple of times so that I feel clear on them. Then I just do the reading.

I trust the right cards will fall into the right positions. I trust in Tarot and that it works, even if no one can be sure how it works.

Something ensures that the right cards come out in the right places when we read. And it's sure not me, at least not consciously. If I knew the answer consciously I would not need to do readings. So if it's not me doing it, then I don't have to know what goes where. I just let go and let whatever's in charge do it's thing. Then when all the cards have landed where they should, then it is just my job to read them....the way I see it....

Babs