Creatively Rearranging the Cards

[iofthebeholder]

Just curious to learn how many readers here sometimes creatively rearrange the cards at the end of a reading?

 

Reading the cards as they fall usually suffices to offer the seeker a well received message, but i find sometimes, especially if the content of a reading has focused on difficult or discouraging aspects of a situation, if the take away insight seems inconclusive or vague, it definitely proves constructive rearranging the cards into new shapes or groupings, perhaps even making a mandala of them as if to suggest "these are the resources and dynamics we have to work with, how can we rearrange them to serve our highest intentions for personal / situational development?". This includes sometimes even turning reversed cards upright as if to fulfill their latent potential. The content and message of the original reading remain intact, verbally revisited and in no way discarded, but i find following up with a creative rearrangement concretely expresses a will to organize the resources at our disposal toward desired ends with specific conscious intent. Every time I have done this the seeker responded positively. So far as I've observed it enables a person who might otherwise depart feeling confused or discouraged to embrace the possibility of positive transformation even in difficult circumstances with a genuine sense of empowerment, affirming the belief we can make of our lives whatever we have the creative will to.

 

Haven't read anything about this technique in tarot literature, got the idea initially from a friend who requested a reading but then went about rearranging the cards in such a way on her own. I liked how that worked and started incorporating it into my professional readings whenever appropriate (a minority of readings). Thus far the results have encouraged me to consider this a valuable option whenever it seems a reading might otherwise conclude without offering a clear insight or concrete actionable advice.

 

Anyone else doing this or any thoughts about it?

[Raggydoll]

I’ve seen this technique described in literature, mainly as a part of Transformative tarot counseling (a concept developed by Katrina Wynne). I also do it in my spiritual practice where it becomes a ritual that involves intention setting and magic.

[gregory]

As I said in your thread elsewhere, I don't use standard spreads, so it isn't strictly relevant to me; if I have set cards up as - f'rinstance - Yes, No, Maybe - it would make no sense (to me, anyway) to rearrange them.

[Ncharge]

I do this sometimes. It works well. Do you remember the transparent tarot? That deck seemed to want this. You could make a story line or stack them for a more in-depth reading. And the third edition of Diary of a Broken Soul - the one with slits that let you build 3D “stories” for your reading.

 

I also like to take a second deck and intuitively place cards face-down where they belong over the current spread. Usually 1/4 to 1/3 the number of cards in the original spread. When I flip the second batch of cards, They always provide additional information where it is needed.

[ilweran]

Loving the ideas here!

 

I also like to take a second deck and intuitively place cards face-down where they belong over the current spread. Usually 1/4 to 1/3 the number of cards in the original spread. When I flip the second batch of cards, They always provide additional information where it is needed.

 

I'm definitely trying this out soon. Do you use a second tarot deck? Have you tried it with an oracle? Because I'm thinking of a couple of possible combinations. And perhaps trying it with the Greenwood and Wildwood tarot decks

[Rabbithorns]

This has happened to me sometimes. I read the cards as a story when it comes to a three card weekly read, for example. Since no card holds a particular 'place' in the spread, sometimes I see the story but it's jumbled. It's like a word is out of order in a sentence. Or sometimes, it's more like neither of two cards next to each other come before the other but mean something together rather than apart and sequentially. I don't find that happens in a spread where the placement has a certain meaning attached though.

[HOLMES]

In live readings sometimes I do.. 

I might d[vide them up into uprights and reversed and show why they could be blocked and why they are upright.. 

and make a little sequence story from them just to show how they are connected.. that is after the reading is done.. so the postions dont'matter as much..