Hi all,

I have come across a series of short videos where a life situation is described, and then "there is a card for that!" (the_eternal_tarot on instagram, if you are here, I LOVE your videos!). This person has an interesting way of looking at her cards, and spins an entire situational story for them. Where is it coming from, what happened BEFORE this snapshot (present), and where will it continue to?

This makes me wonder, could one conceivably then do a PPF reading with just one card?

11 hours ago, karma_eleon said:

cards, and spins an entire situational story for them. Where is it coming from, what happened BEFORE this snapshot (present), and where will it continue to?

I think the main thing here is whether or not these readings prove to be relevant and accurate for the client. I’m not saying they aren’t, I’m just saying that I have come across people who are great at storytelling but not great at predicting the future or correctly reading the past/present. I have also come across some experienced tarot readers that are excellent at all those things, but they are not as common imo.

12 hours ago, karma_eleon said:

This makes me wonder, could one conceivably then do a PPF reading with just one card?

Yes and no. If you’re a traditional reader, then you can view the card as the present and make skilled deductions about the past and the future, but unless you have some psychic skills, there would always be an element of speculation. In those cases it makes way more sense to me to just pull two more cards. I don’t think it’s wise to try and answer several different things with one card. When a psychic reader does that, they’re relying on much more than the one card, so it becomes a whole other story.

There seems to be a trend these days towards using fewer and fewer cards in a 'reading.' When you take a reading down to one card only, you must riff off that one card only. It doesn't matter whether you use traditional meanings or intuitive meanings, unless you are incredibly psychically skilled, you have only that one card to go on.

It's fine, in my opinion, to pull one card a day to meditate on, for yourself, but if somebody comes to you for a reading and you only pull one card? What do you say to them, unless you truly do have psychic skills? It can provide a topic, but how can you progress the reading if they aren't in front of you to discuss the card and fit it into their own life situation?

I think cards do their best work when they can create a 'conversation' between themselves. If you limit them to only one keyword, yes, they will sometimes hit a mark. But most of the time?

If a person comes to you for a reading to help them with a real-life situation, and you pull Death? Okay, Death means something in their life is gone and won't return. But what has gone? That's where you need more cards. Will this ending be beneficial to them? Did they desire this end, or are they upset by it? Is this ending happening now, or is it a future or a past event? Is it something the querent can influence or work with, or is it a done deal? What happens next? And etc.

Death is a dramatic card as well. Let's say, instead of Death, you pull the Queen of Wands. What do you say to the querent, if that's the only card you've got, and won't be pulling any more?

One card can act as a beginning to a reading, if you establish a conversation with the querent. But if you want the reading to be helpful and not just guesswork, I think you need more cards, and more card positions.

One-card readings may seem simple in concept, but I fear they prove to be anything but, in practice.

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by Chariot

Nope. Unless you are psychic 🤪.