Umbrae
Quite often, someone will sit down and ask one of those impossible questions. “What do I need to do, in order to…” fill in the blank. If you’ve read for others long enough you’ve had the question.
We can spend 15 minutes attempting to rewrite the question until we’re doing a reading on something that’s essentially different than what they really want (or need), or use some fantastic spread using 47 cards in the shape of a MacGregor 65 or some other downwind sled crossing the Pacific, full sails and flying its spinnaker.
To me, more cards do not equal clarity. In fact more cards usually obfuscate. In fact the more cards/positions I use – the further from a real reading (and this is my opinion mind you) I get. If you lay out 20 cards, you begin to rely upon the Forer Effect, and not on your ability to read. The Forer Effect is related to selective memory and is appropriate to the cold-reading/divination situation. The Forer Effect states that in general, “when people are given many general and specific claims about themselves, the inaccuracies are overlooked and the general statements are interpreted as accurate.”
It seemed obvious back then when 5 and 7 card readings were my bread and butter (never could wrap my arms around the Not-So Celtic Cross), that to lay out 7 out of 22 cards was a bit much – That’s 31% of the cards, which means I’m not reading, but relying on the Forer Effect. I might have well have been doing the old “you are a sensitive, intelligent person. You have the ability to cope with many different situations; although you are far from the wimpish type you are not overly aggressive or manipulative either…” kind of phony ‘reading’.
Well now, that’s never been my style. Back in the old days when I only had one beat-up, battered RWS, I’d strip out the Majors and do a reading. Since I didn’t have any books back in the 70’s and 80’s to tell me I was doing it wrong, I just did it. Found it worked out just fine.
Now I own a handful of ‘Majors Only’ decks.
But here is the key (and although some may be tempted to move this thread to the ‘spreads’ forum, admittedly spreads are listed but this is not about spreads per se), you really need to listen to what the sitter is asking, what they need, can their issues be answered with a 78 card deck? Maybe yes maybe no.
Must we really have them rewrite their question? Perhaps not.
Should you choose to explore Majors Only readings, your choice of which Majors Only deck is huge. You can use a deck that was published as a Majors Only; or alternatively you can look through that collection of yours and pull out that deck where you love the Majors and despise the Minors – separate them and Voila! Majors Only!
There are also decks where you have most likely said, “Gee, wish it as a full deck of 78…” Well why not go ahead and use it as the artist intended?
Here’s another aspect. Suppose you also do Rune readings. A Majors Only reading will dovetail perfectly with a Rune reading. If you do a Three or Five Rune spread, Majors can be used along with each position – I usually only use three Tarot with Runes (sliding them under the 3 main stones after I’ve completed the Rune portion of the Reading. The Tarot Majors and the Runes complement each other well.
The 2-Card reading. Windows and Doors
The Window represents ‘what’s out there’, what we want, desire, think we need, it’s what we see or think we see. It is a goal that we’re separated from. It’s the now (Not the Now that’s leftover from the past like a half-eaten pizza in the refrigerator, sure it is here now – but it is a reminder, a remainder of the past – leftovers). The window is present now. However it’s not just about us – sometimes it is what the universe is trying to give us. It is something now that we are separate from.
The Door. If you want to let in, or get to, whatever is outside, the least you must do is get up and unlock the door. Sometimes opening it is not even necessary. But you have to at least make the effort – unlock the door! Use the archetype here to give you an idea of “how to act to make it possible.”
Three Card Majors Only Spread options
Past............................Present........... ...........Future
Beginning.....................Middle.............. ...........End
Body..............................Mind............ ............Spirit
Problem.....................Obstacle.............. ......Help/Lesson
Option One.................The Issue............ .....Option Two
Self...........................Relationship.....… ............Other
Some portions of this essay have appeared in ‘Seekers Journey’ on Tarotforlife. Permission from the author granted or he’ll have a shaving accident.
Love to hear your thoughts and opinions on reading with only 22 cards.
We can spend 15 minutes attempting to rewrite the question until we’re doing a reading on something that’s essentially different than what they really want (or need), or use some fantastic spread using 47 cards in the shape of a MacGregor 65 or some other downwind sled crossing the Pacific, full sails and flying its spinnaker.
To me, more cards do not equal clarity. In fact more cards usually obfuscate. In fact the more cards/positions I use – the further from a real reading (and this is my opinion mind you) I get. If you lay out 20 cards, you begin to rely upon the Forer Effect, and not on your ability to read. The Forer Effect is related to selective memory and is appropriate to the cold-reading/divination situation. The Forer Effect states that in general, “when people are given many general and specific claims about themselves, the inaccuracies are overlooked and the general statements are interpreted as accurate.”
It seemed obvious back then when 5 and 7 card readings were my bread and butter (never could wrap my arms around the Not-So Celtic Cross), that to lay out 7 out of 22 cards was a bit much – That’s 31% of the cards, which means I’m not reading, but relying on the Forer Effect. I might have well have been doing the old “you are a sensitive, intelligent person. You have the ability to cope with many different situations; although you are far from the wimpish type you are not overly aggressive or manipulative either…” kind of phony ‘reading’.
Well now, that’s never been my style. Back in the old days when I only had one beat-up, battered RWS, I’d strip out the Majors and do a reading. Since I didn’t have any books back in the 70’s and 80’s to tell me I was doing it wrong, I just did it. Found it worked out just fine.
Now I own a handful of ‘Majors Only’ decks.
But here is the key (and although some may be tempted to move this thread to the ‘spreads’ forum, admittedly spreads are listed but this is not about spreads per se), you really need to listen to what the sitter is asking, what they need, can their issues be answered with a 78 card deck? Maybe yes maybe no.
Must we really have them rewrite their question? Perhaps not.
Should you choose to explore Majors Only readings, your choice of which Majors Only deck is huge. You can use a deck that was published as a Majors Only; or alternatively you can look through that collection of yours and pull out that deck where you love the Majors and despise the Minors – separate them and Voila! Majors Only!
There are also decks where you have most likely said, “Gee, wish it as a full deck of 78…” Well why not go ahead and use it as the artist intended?
Here’s another aspect. Suppose you also do Rune readings. A Majors Only reading will dovetail perfectly with a Rune reading. If you do a Three or Five Rune spread, Majors can be used along with each position – I usually only use three Tarot with Runes (sliding them under the 3 main stones after I’ve completed the Rune portion of the Reading. The Tarot Majors and the Runes complement each other well.
The 2-Card reading. Windows and Doors
The Window represents ‘what’s out there’, what we want, desire, think we need, it’s what we see or think we see. It is a goal that we’re separated from. It’s the now (Not the Now that’s leftover from the past like a half-eaten pizza in the refrigerator, sure it is here now – but it is a reminder, a remainder of the past – leftovers). The window is present now. However it’s not just about us – sometimes it is what the universe is trying to give us. It is something now that we are separate from.
The Door. If you want to let in, or get to, whatever is outside, the least you must do is get up and unlock the door. Sometimes opening it is not even necessary. But you have to at least make the effort – unlock the door! Use the archetype here to give you an idea of “how to act to make it possible.”
Three Card Majors Only Spread options
Past............................Present........... ...........Future
Beginning.....................Middle.............. ...........End
Body..............................Mind............ ............Spirit
Problem.....................Obstacle.............. ......Help/Lesson
Option One.................The Issue............ .....Option Two
Self...........................Relationship.....… ............Other
Some portions of this essay have appeared in ‘Seekers Journey’ on Tarotforlife. Permission from the author granted or he’ll have a shaving accident.
Love to hear your thoughts and opinions on reading with only 22 cards.
K
, and also have had much fun using Major decks whose Minors are still in the progress stage 