I think simple spreads for myself don't work.

[Catspur]

I tend to be a pretty deep tarot reader. I want to dive into it with people, and usually spend 30+ minutes on a spread.

 

But sometimes I just want to throw a few cards down. I do that for friends sometimes, and it's fine. I have no trouble seeing meanings in three-card spreads people post here or in other forums.

 

But for myself, wow, those short little reads are a train wreck. They don't make any sense to me. I can read for myself if I really drop it, commit to a big spread, and spend the time with it, but I don't know if I'm just resisting, but it seems like the cards never make any sense.  When I'm reading for someone else, I have no problem dropping in with a difficult set of cards and digging and carefully expanding to find out what's going on, but for myself, I just can't find a way to do that. I know patience may be a factor here, but it seems like my clarifier cards never make any sense, or that I'm fishing for a better answer.

 

I'd like to be able to do quick readings for myself, as a way to keep myself fresh and keep building my connection with the cards.

 

Anybody had any experience with this sort of problem?  Any thoughts about how to drop in and do a short spread for myself without feeling super cluttered about it?

 

Thanks!

[Saturn Celeste]

Yes!  Ask the cards what you need to know from them.  Lay 3 cards out side by side.  Don't worry about positions or questions or anything.  Just look at the 3 cards and find a story in them. Does not have to be left to right at all.  Maybe the story starts in the middle or the far right.  Just look at them and then think about the actual meaning of the cards.  See if you can just connect them in anyway you see fit that best answers your question of what you need to know about yourself.

[Raggydoll]

I have a suggestion that may or may not resonate with you. Please feel free to disregard it if it doesn't feel relevant! But maybe you need some sort of routine to get yourself in the right mindset before you start? I feel that it takes different mindsets to read for others vs to read for yourself. If you are familiar to Mindfulness- then how about a short (2-5 min) body-scan? I know that spreads can be of importance too but I would start with the right mental preparations first and see if that wouldn't do the trick. Maybe you don't need to go really deep when you are reading for yourself but rather would benefit from centering yourself right below the surface, fully aware of the here and now. Just a thought!

[Grizabella]

I don't usually read for myself. The closest I come to it is to shuffle and lay out some cards over and over again just for practice sort of and when I do that, if I notice a certain card or two repeating, then I take note of it. For many years, when I'd start seeing the Tower recurring during those shuffle, shuffle, shuffle times, I'd just cringe because invariably it meant I was going to be unexpectedly moving AGAIN!

 

In the past year or so, I've been doing more art work and not so much with cards. When I do use the cards, it's been Lenormand and Kipper. I've dug out a bunch of my smaller decks and dusted them off tonight since I'm going to be mentoring Joy for the coming several foreseeable months, though, and it will kind of be a nice fresh start again. I'm not going to do that shuffle, shuffle, shuffle anymore for awhile, though. I've become pretty sick of that darned Tower card and I don't want to see it cycling around again for a very long time,l if at all. ::)

 

In reading for others, simple spreads don't seem as satisfying to me as doing a larger spread. I have a spread I made myself that starts with 7 cards and then can extend into something that looks like a Scrabble board in play.That one works very well for readings for others. I like it a lot.

[Guest libra]

A few suggestions:

 

Treat yourself, and your personal reading as if you're reading for someone else!  Would you ask the question out loud while shuffling? Do that, name yourself in third person or use a nickname.  Would you normally be pointing out the basic symbols guiding your reading?  Do that.  Sit in front of  a mirror to show your "querent" the reading like you usually do, even!

 

Or - let's pretend like your cards are sentient (or acknowledge if they are, mine usually are!) and just TELL them.  Set the intention before the reading, that you want to have a quick n dirty session. 

 

You could also just break your deck down into keywords.  Don't let yourself get caught up in the introspection.  Set your spread, set your card meanings and read it on that basic level. 

 

Set up a twitter account!  See how much of the most important stuff you can fit into a single tweet.  No going over the word count!

[chongjasmine]

I have a different problem from you.

I can take 3 cards spread, no problem.

But longer spread... well... I find that tough.