Digital vs physical readings

[Doodlebabe]

Hope this is okay here, not sure where else to put this thread.

 

Do any of you use cards and an app? When I first started I mainly used an app while I looked for the right deck for me. It felt about 75% spot on for daily readings, 95% for relationship spreads. Now that I have a physical deck I'm beginning to use it for daily readings too and I'm finding that often my physical readings directly contradict my digital. For example, today my cards gave me 9 of pentacles (woo!). My app gave me 8 of wands reversed (boo!).

I'm choosing to walk forward believing my physical deck as I feel that 1) it's likely more accurate as I am able to put more of my energy into it without interference and 2) today just plain FEELS like a good day. I've only recently become comfortable using my physical deck and am trying not to doubt it as it keeps giving me very positive readings while my app keeps giving me negative  :o But I'm curious for your thoughts.

Do you use apps or digital decks? What have your results been compared to physical? Do you feel one is more accurate than the other for you?

[Birdie]

Interesting topic! I love digital decks for their convenience. On a train with no deck and a burning question? I'll pull out my phone and bring up my "Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards," which has seemingly always been spot on, even in retrospect. I also really like the "Vibrational Energy Oracle Cards."

 

Anyways I also love my physical decks. They are more satisfying to hold and sit with. I think that..maybe there are subtleties in the energy of the same question. Thoughts seem so concrete, but perhaps the unconscious creeps in and alters the energy of the question/outcome from moment to moment. Or maybe we are just so casual with our digital devices that our "focus" isn't quite as keen as with a physical deck. Just a theory. I say- if you feel one way is more accurate than the other, and feels better to you, then go with that. : D

[Guest Clotho]

Nope I can't use the apps. I just can't "feel" anything. I even make it a habit to turn off the electronics around me. I guess I'm a Luddite! HA HA :)

Sometimes I take a picture of my spread to refer to later. That's as high tech as I get.

 

But if it works for you go for it <3

[Virago]

Sometimes I use a digital app out of convenience (I like Galaxy Tarot) but I don't put as much stock in them as a proper reading with a physical deck. They can still be accurate a lot of the time and give decent insight but using a physical deck feels more personal to me because as you said, I put more energy into it.

 

Although, of course this varies depending on what individuals feel drawn to. Some people really jive with technology and I know there are other types of divination that lean more towards that side.

[ToadieOdie]

I use both and I haven't yet noticed a difference between the two, but this might be due to how I process things.

[Doodlebabe]

I love how differently everyone feels about this! So much diversity in tarot despite most non-readers think we're all cuckoo

[~D~]

I like using a real deck in my hands..

BUT... to fool around sometimes I will use this:

https://edifyingfellowship.org/wiki/Main_Page

[ToadieOdie]

 

The one I use is http://orphalese.net/ which I have installed on my desktop. It lets you set up your own layouts. The free version gives you two decks, but the paid version lets you have as many as you want - including ones you make.

 

 

I don't see a mobile version of it anywhere. You'd think they would have one by now.

[DanielJUK]

Personally I think there is no difference in the energy between digital or physical readings. Most people have their phone or tablet near them all the time, if people have to be and touch tarot cards to impart their energy during shuffling and reading on to the cards, I don't think it's much different with a digital device. I do know people who like to touch cards, that is an important part of the process but it's just preference!

 

I have used tarot apps for years and love the Galaxy Tome apps on Android too, I have had their Galaxy Tarot app with RWS for years on different phones and I now just get it's card of the day, I don't do it myself anymore and I would say it's 90% correct! I find it so useful because it's nearly always in my pocket wherever I am, I don't have any mini decks in my bag often. I have used it for readings for myself. But I prefer to actually do bigger readings and important readings with real cards, because I think it's a physical thing and using a real earthy thing for it. I have never read for anyone else with an app and I think I would have to ask them before using an app to generate a reading. There are websites as well, some even let you choose the cards yourself and then someone will interpret it for you for money.

 

I think this really just personal preference, I don't believe you get actual better or worse readings between them. But also I think tarot is more than just pushing a button to generate a reading, I like to have a digital shuffle and try to work out the cards myself, I do more than just a computer taking over all parts of it.

[Lance]

Hope this is okay here, not sure where else to put this thread.

 

Do any of you use cards and an app? When I first started I mainly used an app while I looked for the right deck for me. It felt about 75% spot on for daily readings, 95% for relationship spreads. Now that I have a physical deck I'm beginning to use it for daily readings too and I'm finding that often my physical readings directly contradict my digital. For example, today my cards gave me 9 of pentacles (woo!). My app gave me 8 of wands reversed (boo!).

I'm choosing to walk forward believing my physical deck as I feel that 1) it's likely more accurate as I am able to put more of my energy into it without interference and 2) today just plain FEELS like a good day. I've only recently become comfortable using my physical deck and am trying not to doubt it as it keeps giving me very positive readings while my app keeps giving me negative  :o But I'm curious for your thoughts.

Do you use apps or digital decks? What have your results been compared to physical? Do you feel one is more accurate than the other for you?

my 5c (CAD    :)))

first off, if youre double reading, you're setting up for failure, as you're second guessing yourself

Main thin is that you need to actually value the taro, to get optimal results. otherwise even if you get accurate ones, you'll tend to ignore them making them come true. (Especially negative ones)

I feel that the digital nature makes any reading trivial. you don't attach the same weight if you can reclick and

[EmpyreanKnight]

I'd sometimes use apps for very quick readings. I usually find them accurate. They often have most if not the whole companion book too if a deck has any, so aside from being portable, they become really useful if the book is OOP. Not all apps have this tho.

 

I very much prefer physical decks tho.

[Cobweb]

It's not that I don't like apps - and they can be a great way of trying out a Deck or getting your hands on a companion book.  But I do find it hard to get to the same level of ...  meditative contemplation, shall we call it?  ... when I haven't got the deck in my hands to slowly shuffle.

[Marisa Kirisame]

I'd honestly like some quantum true random generator as my digital deck device. It would 'connect' you to somewhere where the undetermined event outcomes stem from. Maybe I could buy one and tinker with a microcontroller to assemble such a magical gadget.

[DevonCarter]

I have an app on my phone that I usually do a "week ahead" spread with a card for each day, so when I open it each day it tells me the day's card and a quick summary of it's meaning. I find this useful mostly for learning but also somewhat accurate. I really like actual decks, though, even if I just sit and shuffle them and look at the cards. The last two weeks I've done a 3-card general week ahead spread with an actual deck, which also seems to be reasonably accurate.

[Petalene]

While I prefer physical cards, I love having several apps on my phone. It’s handy while out and avout, especially if I want or need to be discrete. It’s a great way to try decks and having the book on my phone means I don’t have to drag it around with me.

 

The two main decks I use right now are The Housewives Tarot and The Steampunk Tarot and I have both the apps and the decks. The apps have been pretty spot on for me. Yesterday’s card for the day - way off, depending on how you look at it - but it’s the first time I can remember it missing the mark like that. Having a basic to advanced understanding of Tarot will make reading the cards easier and more accurate. If someone had never used Tarot and got an app, I don’t think their readings with it would be particularly insightful or useful.

 

I make the card for the day the background on my phone so I will look at is several times throughout the day. When I change it the next day, I take a moment to reflect on how yesterday’s card fit for the day.

[Grey_Lady]

I use both and I haven't yet noticed a difference between the two, but this might be due to how I process things.

 

Hello,

 

very interesting question. I agree with DoadieOdie. I am using both, mostly, when I am outside, the digital versions are more available. The outcome seems to me is the same.

 

Grey Lady

[DoNotDelete]

It's all about intention and your connection with the image either digital or physical. I use both but mostly my physical decks because I love to have them in my hands :)

[Asher]

I agree with most of the responses above!

 

I use both apps and physical cards. I prefer the physical cards and the gentle routine of shuffling to get me grounded and connected and ready to read.

 

I love the convenience of the apps if I’m commuting or have a few free minutes at work where it’s not feasible to pull out a deck. I’ll simply use my phone or iPad and do a quick reading. I also like having the companion book available in the app if I feel like a quick read or to look up something. Apps for decks that are OOP are great! Also for decks I’m not sure I want to own, so I might spend a couple of bucks to take the deck for a test drive or two. Have have good luck so far!

 

For study purposes, I love using the app on my iPad where I can see all the details so clearly (my eyes aren’t what they used to be)!

[Petalene]

I don’t pull more than one daily card. I usually do my daily card on my app and if I accidentally pull a second daily card on another app, I read them together. I tend to read Reversed cards as blocked energy, so I’d do 9P and 8W Rx as you are enjoying the fruits of your labors and you are close to manifesting a goal so watch out for getting defensive and picking the wrong battles while you work towards completion. 

 

While I prefer physical cards in general, I love apps for my daily draw. I take a screenshot of the card and make it the background on my phone. That way I look at and think about the card several times a day. I’m using Mystical Manga right now and all the cards are so pretty. 

[sage_lacroix]

I used to think that tarot apps would be completely inaccurate (because I don't really trust it to not be running on a "pattern" or something). But then my best friend sent me her Golden Thread tarot, which has an accompanying app. Now, the physical deck fits me like a glove, which is interesting because I never would have picked that deck for myself. But I downloaded the app because the deck didn't come with a lwb and I wanted to see if the artists had any personal interpretations in their cards. 

 

Anyway, I started doing the daily draws, and found them scarily accurate. So I keep doing it. I think it was mentioned earlier, but now that I've reflected on it, I think makes sense because what piece of technology absorbs our energy the most if not our phones? It is almost always with us, it has so much information about us (relating to so many aspects of our lives), and is how we communicate with others. So it makes sense to me.

 

One big difference I notice, however, is that I get a little nervous doing a daily draw on my app. That doesn't happen with physical cards. And I'm not really sure why.

[-fenrir-]

Guess I'm a a bit old fashioned here, but holding the cards is a big part of the experience for me.

Not that I'd be worried about energies or anything like that, but I need real books and printed photos, and therefore a tangible deck too. Everything else feels like a computer game 😉

[Barleywine]

I also prefer shuffling the physical deck and having my sitters shuffle as well. But I made my peace with tarot apps a while ago. Using a Random Number Generator to select cards really isn't much different from pulling them randomly from a fan. I don't think the Universe cares whether you're pushing a button or picking the cards manually; as long as there's no chance of the draw being manipulated, it's the intention that counts. But it will always be a poor second choice for me.

[chongjasmine]

I don't use an app. I prefer the actual physical cards.

[Days]

I've thought about this too. I use both physical cards and a mobile app. Recently started using the app because of how convenient it is. One big plus is that it's free, includes meanings for all tarot cards, and lets you do spreads. It’s a good alternative when I don’t have my physical deck with me. The app I prefer: "Al Tarot Card Reading&Meanings"