Tag: Playing card

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for December 9th is Lovers

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today

trumpsLovers

The Lovers

The Lovers indicates both the most powerful of unions and the most of challenging conflicts humans must face. On one side The Lover’s embodies love and union on a cosmic scale—a love so strong, so inherently good that it actually makes the lovers better, more than they really are. All of the elements are there for the perfect union. The Lovers represent all powerful unions in general, and the elements that create/sustain them. The problem The Lovers face is temptation and the decision to act morally or abandon their ethics to take advantage of other opportunities that would be defined as transgressions.

Can Runes Be Used for Divination?

Can Runes Be Used for Divination?

by: Donald Tyson
The earliest allusions to runes concern divination. The Roman historian Tacitus, writing in 98 A.D., describes how the German priests would cut a bough from  a tree and divide it into pieces, then distinguish them by carving into their bark “certain marks.” The twigs were cast over a white cloth at  random, and after the priest invoked the gods, with eyes raised to heaven he would select three of the twigs and read their meanings. It is very likely these  divinatory marks were runes.
In modern occultism rune divination has become most closely associated with something called rune stones, which  are not stones at all but small squares of ceramic impressed with runes. There is nothing wrong with putting runes on ceramic, which has an earthy, natural  feel, but there is no ancient precedent for it, either. Many people are under the mistaken notion that this is the original medium of runes. In pagan times  runes were carved into wood for divination, specifically segments of a fresh bough lopped off a fruit-bearing tree such as the apple.
For less formal occasions, should an individual wish to divine for family or friends, or a professional wish to use the runes in paid readings, one can  create or purchase rune cards and rune dice.
Rune cards are similar in some ways to the Tarot . Each card shows a rune and two illustrations that convey its  active meaning and its symbolic emblem, as well as its number, name, meaning, and its place in its rune family, or aett. Avoid using a rune card deck that  minimizes the runes in favor of the images chosen to represent them. This is a major error. Divinations are done through the runes themselves, which have  many possible interpretations, not just the one image selected by the artist who illustrated the cards. In this respect rune cards are unlike the Tarot,  which consists only of its images. It is a vital distinction that is apt to be overlooked by those who rely on a colorful representation of the runes.
There is no ancient precedent for putting runes onto cards, because cards did not exist in Europe at the time the runes were being used for magic. However,  early playing cards from China are very long and slender, shaped more like wands than modern cards. Also, there is a type of Korean card which consists of  thin flat sticks with Korean characters painted on them (see A History of Playing Cards, C. P. Hargrave, pp. 6-12). The early Chinese cards were  invented in the period of active rune magic. It is probable that all playing cards have their origin in divination sticks similar to rune wands.
Rune dice are four cubes, each bearing three pairs of runes. The pairs are oriented to the three dimensions of space, and they create interlocking rings of  occult energy about the dice through their revolutions when the dice are cast. Each cube stands for one of the four occult elements – Fire, Water, Air and  Earth. By casting the dice and reading the four runes that fall uppermost, as well as the pattern of the dice and the relationships between the elements,  very detailed, lucid readings into general and specific questions are possible.
It may seem at first that putting the runes on dice trivializes them, but this is not so. Dice have been used from time immemorial for divination. They were  employed for this purpose by the Greeks and Romans, and significantly, by the ancient Germans, who were avid gamblers as well as diviners. Roman historians  report that the Germans divined by means of “lots.” such lots for the Romans meant small blocks of inscribed wood, as were used for divination in  their own temple of the goddess Fortuna. It cannot be proven, but it is at least possible that something very similar to the rune dice existed in ancient  times.
Runes are unsurpassed for divination because they represent a set of manifest qualities that are archetypal in significance. They define the essential  building blocks of the human conception of the world. They convey meaning on all levels, and can be interpreted literally as trees, cattle, water, and so on;  personally as human virtues and experiences such as dreams, desires, courage, eloquence, and service; or spiritually as good, evil, truth, justice, honor,  and wisdom. On all levels the message of the runes is explicit, because the rune symbols arise out of the world of Nature. They possess the clarity and  definition of the stones in a field and the trees on a hilltop. This makes them easier to interpret than the I Ching, the Tarot, or the symbols of   geomancy . I have used all major types of divination, and find that runes speak in a more straightforward  manner than any of them.

HOW I READ TAROT: ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL

HOW I READ TAROT: ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL

 

by Dawn

Finding a united vision when giving a Tarot reading can be a challenge. Most books on Tarot have conflicting interpretations of the cards, and very few books clearly explain how cards affect each other when they appear in a spread together. Although I won’t be able in this short article to touch on all of the cards and spreads available, I do hope to give you, dear reader, a few steps toward performing spreads and interpretations so that you can give your readings more clarity.

One of the most important steps when learning the Tarot is choosing a deck that speaks your language. If the images on the cards contain symbols that are familiar to you, you will find it easier to remember the cards’ meanings and develop a close working relationship with the cards. I have used quite a few different decks over the years and am now primarily using two of them, the Voyager Tarot and the Spiral Deck. I like using both during readings, because together they give a very detailed map of what is happening energetically with the client and hard answers on what is coming up, what actions should be taken and new information that till the reading may have been hidden.

When doing a reading, I start with a general landscape overview using the Voyager Tarot because of its spiritual and self-growth orientation. This deck has lots of visual impact because of the photo collage technique used to create the images of the Major and Minor Arcana. The photographic images of people, places and things I am familiar with helps to ground the cards in reality for me. It’s not that I don’t appreciate other drawn and painted decks; it’s just that I have an affinity for photography, so this deck works for me. During this overview phase of the reading, I don’t have the client ask any specific questions. I just tell him or her to relax and be themselves as they are shuffling the deck, to say their name out loud and let their minds go to the people, places and events in their lives in the past and present, and to their goals and dreams for the future.

When the client finishes shuffling, I cut the deck into three stacks and choose the bottom cut, taking the very bottom two cards out first. I use these two cards as clues as to the client’s big questions. Doing so helps me because often they are so nervous and excited they can’t remember what it is they want to know!

I then do a simple six-card spread, laying the cards out left to right with a row of three above another row of three. The top layer is the outside world: work, friends, family, how other people see the client and the tasks he or she is being asked to do. The bottom layer is how the client is reacting to the outside world and life, as well as the things he or she brings to the world and the gifts he or she is receiving. The far left pair is the past, the center pair is the present and the right pair is the future. By looking at this spread, which I call the current energetic road map, I can more easily see the overriding themes and lessons being experienced by the client. I take a close look at the cards and observe whether the cards have a similar feeling or meaning.

The second part of the reading answers very specific questions. I use a more traditional deck, the Spiral Deck, for getting hard answers. I have the client shuffle the deck while saying his or her name and asking the specific question; the client then cuts the deck into three stacks again. I always choose the bottom stack for the reading, but in this case I just lay out five cards in a row from left to right.

Card One represents the client and where he or she exists in the moment regarding the question. Card Two is the thing asked about; Card Three is something hidden about this thing. Card Four is an action suggested for the client to take regarding to the question, and Card Five is the most probable result.

As you can see, I prefer small card-spreads. I like to keep things as clear and simple as possible, so that I have enough form to relax into but not so much structure that I can’t receive any additional information clairvoyantly. I find that if I let my logical mind work with the given meanings of the cards but still allow my intuitive mind to spring about, creating links and juggling all the information into a new whole, the reading is more accurate and helpful.

Now to the actual working of the spread and the cards found within it. I did a reading on my life and came up with some interesting results.

My reading with the Voyager Deck resulted in the Seven of Worlds (Pentacles) and the Three of Wands as the bottom two cards, which represent the burning questions I have. The key words and meanings for the Seven of Worlds is material or financial breakthrough. The Three of Wands traditionally means a successful business person, but in the Voyager deck the card has the keyword of “compassion,” which I interpret to mean that I want to know how to have compassion in my actions. These two cards make a lot of sense for me at this time, because I have my own business as a psychic and Reiki healer, and I also want to branch off in some new directions, Web design and making magickal ceremonial garb and jewelry. Using my common sense, I say “But of course! I really want some constructive insight into how I am going to accomplish all of this beautifully and well while still coming from my heart.”

Here is the reading as it looked, with (R) standing for reversed:

The Past               
Devil's Play (R)
Woman of Worlds (R)

The Present           
Man of Crystals (R)
Woman of Crystals

The Future
Ten of Crystals (R)
Five of Worlds

Remember that the top layer (Devil’s Play reversed, Man of Crystals reversed and Ten of Crystals reversed) is the outside world and that the bottom layer (Woman of Worlds reversed, Woman of Crystals and Five of Worlds) is how the client reacts and what he or she brings to the outside world.

The first thing I notice is the Devil’s Play reversed in the outer past position. I feel that this means that I have been feeling very manipulated and part of some karmic pattern in all of my relationships, personal as well as professional. Major Arcana cards in a spread always signal that there is a big lesson to be learned, or a job to do. In this case, Devil’s Play signals to me that it is time for me to acknowledge that I have allowed myself to become part of the karmic wheel and that I need to stand up for myself and get off of it.

Next I notice the three court cards, the Man and Woman of Crystals and the Woman of Worlds. Court cards can represent people in the client’s life and the role of leader and responsibility to guide others. With the Woman of Worlds reversed, “Preserver,” I realize that, out of guilt and fear, I haven’t been asking for what is rightfully mine, especially materially. I notice that the Woman of Crystals, “Guidance,” the great decision-maker, is in the present inner position, reminding me that I have put on my tough boots and taken back the helm of my ship, making the decisions I need to keep me on course and getting rid of all the unnecessary crap.

Opposition still appears, in the form of unresponsive and self-absorbed people in my environment: the Man of Crystals reversed, “Inventor.” But I appreciate the reminder that I don’t need to take on other people’s issues with my decisions, as well as the reminder to keep to my resolve strengthened.

In the next position, The Future – well, frankly, it looks a little bumpy, with the Ten of Crystals reversed in the outside world. The keyword of this card is “Delusion,” and it stands next to the Five of Worlds upright. The Five of Worlds has the keyword “Setback,” which means a small financial setback that is necessary for my spiritual growth, so that I keep my money focused on what I am trying to create instead of buying into “keeping up with the Joneses” and so that I try not to spend money to fill a spiritual or emotional hole.

This card doesn’t show a hopeless situation; it just means I need to keep steady on course and listen to myself and my true instincts, instead of being swayed by the outside world. I love when I receive information like this about the possible future, because I can take action to lessen any impact this situation might have on my life, by saving money now and tightening my belt. Doing so will also help me to stay grounded in my authentic self, so I don’t get blown off-course by inaccurate or unhelpful outside influences. I have some events planned in the next three months that I hope will make me some additional income, but with this warning I will tread very carefully and make frugal financial decisions.

I will now do a quick spread using the Spiral Deck to answer the question “What does my business look like in the future?”

For specific questions such as this, I use a five-card spread. Here it is:

Me:     The Fool
Issue:  The Lovers
Hidden: Two of Pentacles
Action: Strength
Result: Ace of Wands

Note that all cards appeared upright.

Whew! It all looks good in the end. The result arises as the Ace of Wands, which means  illumination and creative and spiritual gifts. I see too that the Fool appears for myself. Seeing this card, I realize that of course things are feeling a little overwhelming, because this whole path is completely new for me, The Fool (new beginnings, serendipity and trust!).

The issue card, The Lovers, reflects that I love all of the work I do and care about it so much that it would be a big deal emotionally if it didn’t work out. The Lovers means having to choose, matches and the significant other. I guess I really am a workaholic if my work is my lover! This card also suggests that the wonderful thing I haven’t acknowledged is that all of these projects and branches of my business provide a perfect balance for me emotionally as well as financially,

The hidden card appears as the Two of Pentacles, balanced life and reflection. I know that I will need to focus my energies toward accomplishing all of my goals and obligations, and that I will have to forgo some late nights watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel so that I can get things done and further my education in Web design. My “World Domination Plan,” as my partner would call it, is to be able to use my skills to work anywhere in the world

My action card is Strength, which means reining in my animal self and focusing that brute strength on a specific task, without killing my spirit so I can still pounce when needed. Strength also suggests higher education.

One thing to note as well is that three out of five cards in the spread are from the Major Arcana. This occurrence signals that big energy is afoot with this question and path in my life. This path is obviously something I am here to do, because it helps me learn many things about myself.

So, in a wee nutshell, dear reader, follow these tips and see what comes:

  1. Choose a deck or decks that speak your language. 
  2. Start with a global reading in order to illuminate any underlying themes in the client’s or your own life. 
  3. Do a separate spread to answer any specific questions. 
  4. Remember to relax and let your left brain do the literal interpretation and your right brain tackle weaving the connections. 
  5. Pay attention to any commonalties between the cards, to whether they have the same number, type or meaning. These are all clues pointing to who the client is and the information sought. 
  6. Keep practicing, and soon it will all work for you in a fluid way.

I hope that this article has sparked anew any interest you have in reading the Tarot. I have certainly found reading an enlightening and enjoyable task

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Oct. 10 is The Wolf

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

 

The Howling Wolf

The Howling Wolf stands alone atop a peak calling to for his pack to gather. He is the leader, the lawmaker and enforcer, the commander of his pack. In order to prosper Howling Wolf’s pack needs him, and he needs his pack. The Howling Wolf signifies the need for effective leadership and definitive action without which decline and aimlessness may prevail.

As a daily card, The Howling Wolf suggest the need for you to take the lead in creating solutions to problems your group is facing. Whether it is your family or coworkers or some other group you belong to, you have the energies needed to lead them down a favorable path at this time.

Today’s Tarot Card for September 12 is The Star

The Star

This Tarot Deck: Sacred Rose

General Meaning:  What has traditionally been known as the Star card is about reconnecting one’s Soul with the Divine — the transcending of personality, family, community and reputation. It has to do ultimately with the freedom to be one’s Self. The Soul is responding to celestial influences — forces that can provide the personality with a stronger sense of purpose. The Star card helps us to remember our exalted origins and our attraction to a Higher Union.

This card could also be called the “Celestial Mandate” — that which refers us back to our reason for being, our mission in this lifetime. The Star reminds us that, in a sense, we are agents of Divine Will in our day-to-day lives. If we let go of the idea that we are supposed to be in control, we can more easily notice and appreciate the synchronicities that are nudging us along. In this way, we become more conscious of the invisible Helping Hand, and we better understand our place within — and value to — the larger Cosmos.

Today’s Tarot Card for September 11 is The Devil

The Devil

This Tarot Deck: Hanson Roberts

General Meaning:  What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could “lose their soul” to wild and passionate forces.
The image which emerged in the mid-1700’s gives us a more sophisticated rendition — that of the “scapegoated Goddess,” whose esoteric name is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione’s highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel the soul’s passage from mortal to immortal.

Today’s Tarot Card for September 8 isJustice

Justice

This Tarot Deck: Morgan-Greer

General Meaning:  Traditionally, what has been known as the Justice card has to do with moral sensitivity and that which gives rise to empathy, compassion and a sense of fairness. Since the time of Solomon, this image has represented a standard for the humane and fair-minded treatment of other beings.

Often including the image of a fulcrum which helps to balance competing needs against the greater good, and a two-edged sword to symbolize the precision needed to make clear judgments, this card reminds us to be careful to attend to important details. It’s a mistake to overlook or minimize anything where this card is concerned. The law of Karma is represented here — what goes around comes around.

Today’s Tarot Card for Sept. 3 is The Lovers

The Lovers

This Tarot Deck: Etteilla

General Meaning:  Although it has taken on a strictly romantic revision of meaning in some modern decks, traditionally the Lovers card of Tarot reflected the challenges of choosing a partner. At a crossroads, one cannot take both paths. The images on this card in different decks have varied more than most, because we have had so many ways of looking at sex and relationships across cultures and centuries.

Classically, the energy of this card reminded us of the real challenges posed by romantic relationships, with the protagonist often shown in the act of making an either-or choice. To partake of a higher ideal often requires sacrificing the lesser option. The path of pleasure eventually leads to distraction from spiritual growth. The gratification of the personality eventually gives way to a call from spirit as the soul matures.

Modern decks tend to portray the feeling of romantic love with this card, showing Adam and Eve at the gates of Eden when everything was still perfect. This interpretation portrays humanity before the Fall, and can be thought to imply a different sort of choice — the choice of evolution over perfection, or the choice of personal growth through relationship — instead of a fantasy where everything falls into place perfectly and is taken care of without effort.

 

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Sept. 2 is The Hour Glass

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

The Hourglass

The Hourglass is a gentle reminder that time passes and with it goes opportunity. Every moment is a moment we cannot retrieve or relive, and there are no guarantees that what we put off today really can be done tomorrow. The Hourglass urges us to make every second of our lives as rich and fulfilling as we possibly can.

As a daily card, The Hourglass suggest you may be allowing opportunities to pass you by. If you’ve been procrastinating or putting too much of your precious time into activities with no lasting value to you, now is the time for you redirect your energies into actions that will enrich your life.

Your Daily Number for September 1: 7

A confrontation with a loved one is possible today, and you may find yourself engaging in somewhat self-critical behavior. Don’t. Today is the perfect day for greater understanding of yourself and others. Make this a time for spiritual realization rather than negative back talk

Fast Facts

About the Number 7

Theme: Quiet, Insightful, Analytical, Mystical, Intuitive
Astro Association: Cancer
Tarot Association: Chariot

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Aug. 30 (don’t run) is Death

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Death

Death is definitely not a card to shy away from. It does not foretell your impending doom. However it does suggest a period of change and the turbulence that often comes with it are on the horizon. We may not always welcome change, but invariably we must change to grow. Sometimes we have to shed some of the comfort ability of who we are today to embrace the adventure of  who we will be tomorrow. Death is the prophecy of such times.

As a daily card, Death tells you that changes need to be made in order for you to move smoothly along your life’s journey. When seen as a daily card, it is likely the changes indicated are on the order of “minor adjustments” in your day to day routine.

Today’s Tarot Card for August 24 is The Sun

The Sun

This Tarot Deck: Gummy Bear Tarot

General Meaning:  What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self — who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person’s life, a fact we celebrate on our birthday.

The Sun card could also be titled “Back to Eden.” The Sun’s radiance is where one’s original nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls.

Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It’s as if this card is saying “You can do no wrong — it’s all to the good!”

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Aug. 23 is Strength

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Strength

Strength denotes an inner power, mastery of will, development of inner might, and the ability to lead effectively. Through mastering one’s emotions and learning from both success and failure the person Strength represents has reached a place where they are influential without applying physical force, able to weather the roughest of storms, and not likely to abandon the less fortunate. Strength also denotes a large capacity for forgiveness and compassion. Strength is not as much about winning as it is about overcoming hardship, and using well crafted persuasion to ease others to your side.

As a daily card, Strength indicates a period in which your psychological powers are extremely strong. Your mental endurance may well astound even you at this time. Possibly it is time for you to stand up and take command of any loosely run situations in your life. If you take the lead others will follow.

Today’s Tarot Card for August 14th is The Lovers

The Lovers

This Tarot Deck: African Tarot

General Meaning: Although it has taken on a strictly romantic revision of meaning in some modern decks, traditionally the Lovers card of Tarot reflected the challenges of choosing a partner. At a crossroads, one cannot take both paths. The images on this card in different decks have varied more than most, because we have had so many ways of looking at sex and relationships across cultures and centuries.

Classically, the energy of this card reminded us of the real challenges posed by romantic relationships, with the protagonist often shown in the act of making an either-or choice. To partake of a higher ideal often requires sacrificing the lesser option. The path of pleasure eventually leads to distraction from spiritual growth. The gratification of the personality eventually gives way to a call from spirit as the soul matures.

Modern decks tend to portray the feeling of romantic love with this card, showing Adam and Eve at the gates of Eden when everything was still perfect. This interpretation portrays humanity before the Fall, and can be thought to imply a different sort of choice — the choice of evolution over perfection, or the choice of personal growth through relationship — instead of a fantasy where everything falls into place perfectly and is taken care of without effort.

Your Daily Influences for August 3

Your Daily Influences

August 3, 2012
Tarot Influence Rune Influence Charm Influence
The Star     This is the card of hope, perception and revelation. Great love is possible and good health will be enjoyed.
Othala     Othala represents a solid, immovable home, prosperity and safety. Good fortune based on your heritage and character is yours to enjoy.
The Swastika     Over the next weeks and months this aspect should be one that requires little effort on your part to keep things moving forward. This is one of the few charms that has the same meaning upright or inverted.
Your Daily Influences represent events    and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you    should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or    lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more.

Today’s Tarot Card for July 16 is The Moon

The Moon

This Tarot Deck: Royal Thai

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness.

The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul’s integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is between a soul and its Maker.

Today’s Tarot Card for July 15th is The Sun

The Sun

This Tarot Deck: Gummy Bear Tarot

General Meaning:  What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self — who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person’s life, a fact we celebrate on our birthday.

The Sun card could also be titled “Back to Eden.” The Sun’s radiance is where one’s original nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls.

Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It’s as if this card is saying “You can do no wrong — it’s all to the good!”

Today’s Tarot Card for June 9th is The Fool

The Fool

This Tarot Deck: Aquarian

General Meaning:    Pamela Coleman-Smith’s artful rendition of an “innocent Fool” archetype (Rider-Waite deck) is often used to represent Tarot in general. Early classical versions of the Fool card, however, portray quite a different character — a person driven by base needs and urges, who has fallen into a state of poverty and deprivation.
In some instances, he is made out to be a carnival entertainer or a huckster. In others, he is portrayed as decrepit and vulnerable — as the cumulative result of his delusions and failures. Not until the 20th century do you see the popular Rider-Waite image of the Fool arise — that of an innocent Soul before its Fall into Matter, as yet untainted by contact with society and all its ills.
Modern decks usually borrow from the Rider-Waite imagery. Most Fool cards copy the bucolic mountainside scene, the butterfly, the potential misplaced step that will send the Fool tumbling into the unknown. Don’t forget, however, that the earlier versions of this card represented already-fallen humanity, over-identified with the material plane of existence, and beginning a pilgrimage towards self-knowledge, and eventually, wisdom. The Fool reminds us to recognize the path of personal development within ourselves — and the stage upon that path where we find ourselves — in order to energize our movement toward deeper self-realization.

Lessons In Tarot – Lesson 8(a): Shuffling Methods

Lesson 8(a)

Shuffling Methods

  1. Card Player’s Method
    The Card Player’s Method is commonly used to shuffle everyday playing cards. Hold about half the cards face down in each hand and intermingle them as they drop to the surface of the table. This technique mixes the cards thoroughly, but it can be awkward because most tarot cards are bigger than normal. This method is also hard on your cards. They tend to form a bend in the middle. The Card Player’s Method is effective, but somewhat mechanical in spirit. 
  2. Insertion Method
    Hold about half the deck in each hand, and insert one half in a scattered fashion down through the other half. You can hold the cards on their long or short side. This method is fast, efficient and composed with a lot of hand-to-card contact. Be careful with the edges as they can fray over time. 
  3. Cowie Push/Put Method
    In Tarot for Successful Living, Norma Cowie describes her push/put shuffling method. Her technique thoroughly mixes the cards with maximum hand contact and little or no damage. Hold the deck face down in your dominant hand. Push some cards from the top with your thumb into the other hand. Then, push again, but this time to the bottom of the new pile. Continue alternating a push to the top, then one to the bottom until all the cards have been transferred. At this point, put the entire deck back into your dominant hand and start over. This method can be difficult at first. You may push too many or drop some, but your technique will improve with practice. 
  4. Scrambling Method
    The Scrambling Method is about as basic as you can get. Spread all the cards face down on the floor or table, and start scrambling. This technique creates a good mix with few ill effects on the cards. The main drawback is that you need room. This shuffle also has a rather uncomposed feel which some find undesirable.
To Avoid Reversed Cards: To Encourage Reversed Cards:
Start with your cards all facing the same direction.
Every time you divide the deck before shuffling,
make sure the two piles stay facing the same way.		 Every time you divide the deck before shuffling,
rotate one of the piles 180 degrees.