Karmic Tarot: A Profound System for Finding and ... - myteacup

The Nature of Readings
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as upright when they are facing the reader. Options for upright/inverted cards are explained
below.
Whether the readee handles the cards is at the discretion of the reader and may vary
with the situation and amount of time available. The majority of readers prefer to offer the
cards to the readee at some point prior to laying the spread, with a request that the cards be
cut and/or shuffled. I offer the cards three times in a row, asking that they be cut. I prefer
not to have the readee shuffle them. I stress that the cards may be cut in any fashion and
into as many stacks as the readee desires on each of the three offerings. You will develop a
preference of your own on this facet of the reading, but whatever you do, keep this in mind:
The degree to which both the reader and readee focus on the moment at hand is the major factor
underlying the potential success of the reading. In case the readee has not sufficiently focused
on what lies ahead, prior to this last moment before laying out the spread, offering the
cards with a request for some action on their part will require them to consciously use of
their mind in relation to the deck. This additional centering in the moment, however
structured, guarantees at least some active participation by the readee.
What of the option by some readers not to offer the cards at any time? This seems to be
related to the reason most readers will not allow other readers to use their decks. They
simply do not want the confusion of other energies involved with their cards or to risk
physical damage to them. While I agree with this regarding other readers, I do not agree as
regards to the reader/readee relationship. First of all, by definition, in any given reading
you want the energies and impressions of the readee. It is not the reader’s reading, it is the
readee’s. Second, after every reading, the cards should be shuffled and handled in any way
deemed necessary by the reader to neutralize the deck, and as the initial step in preparation
for the next reading, before the cards are put away. This process should be adequate to
offset any adverse effect of handling by the readee.
Whether to offer the cards seems also to be a choice of informality or formality. I
prefer the active involvement of the readee in the entire process. Others may prefer more
of a one-way process, with little active participation by the readee. However, under no
circumstances should the cards be laid out by the readee. Their contact with the cards
should be limited to the time prior to laying out the spread.
Tarot is excellent for telling us what our questions really are, even when our conscious
minds are convinced otherwise. The readee should be given the opportunity to address the
questions that motivated them to come for a reading. As the spread itself will either agree
or address other questions, it is not a problem if the readee declines to ask any questions
initially. It should be pointed out that the more the readee reacts to the reader’s interpretations
as the process unfolds, the greater the chances of receiving specific and detailed
information. Remember that if the readee is actively involved, the reading will be full of
life, rich in meaning, and of great value. If, on the other hand, the readee is only passively
involved, the reading may be relatively meager in meaning and value.
The majority of my readings use more than one laying out of the cards. The Karmic
Spread is excellent for defining the questions, and I allow the first layout to help me feel
the parameters of the issue(s) at hand, to focus the reading, and to establish objective
rapport with the readee. Subsequent layouts then simply follow through on the leads of
the previous layout(s), allowing the information to become more and more specific. Always
read the initial layout as a full-life spread. Then you can follow up with a layout using a
contained time frame such as seven years, seven months, seven weeks, or even seven days.