Friday, February 3, 2012

Cartomancy (Card Divination)

 (Plainly speaking, Cartomancy is a fancy word for Card Divination
or "Reading Cards".
I'm a card reader.
I've read cards for many years.
But unlike most Tarot card readers...
"I don't play with a full deck".
 Yah, ok, that's my joke.... and it makes you feel at ease when you sit down for a reading with me, but it's really the TRUTH.
You see....
I read only the Major Arcana.
The face cards are my BUDS.
Very powerful and they cut to the point....or the "crux o' the biscuit" :)

This is the way I learned and it works for me. Others may read all the cards, and that is awesome. But so is this way. I have found a lot of Magick works for different people in different
ways...
This is just "Merlyn's Way" :)

Card readings have a long history, and the current playing deck of cards have come from it.
Coins=Diamonds
Cups=Hearts
Swords=Spades
Wands=Clubs
Kings, Queens, Knights all have their places here
 Pages have been dropped off the playing card deck in recent history...

But the Jester, of course, will always play the part of the Fool :)

While there may be certain meanings for cards (Upright/Reversed/Blocked) and there are certain layouts to do cards, every card reader has their own "style" of reading.

I will share with you my Style and Approach for reading.

First off..
I personally, have dedicated decks for doing festivals and faires. I offer my potential client the opportunity to
pick from an assortment of decks laid out, usually with some familiar card like the Wheel of Fortune
 or the Empress out for them to see....to pick their deck of choice...
and I let them choose the deck they most feel like consulting.

I encourage them to shuffle and think of a "Question to Ask the Cards". This helps them FOCUS and imprint their thoughts, desires on the moment and their needs.
Then when they are "shuffled enough" or "Done" I accept the cards back from the Questioner and I fan out my cards and offer them to "Pick" after we have decided which layout to do.

Then I read "the answer that they pick".

I can offer a Single card ...
3 Card (Past/Present /Future) reading,
Basic Four (Past /Present/Future/Blockage),
a "Mystic 7 Card Reading"
and a "Complete" reading (10 cards).

I also have started adding in EXTRA cards:
Angel Cards
 or Goddess Cards
 to give some extra input to the person to help them.

I am committed to helping people.

As I wait for them to shuffle and think, I hold a crystal or gem-that has called to me from my pile of stones- and I pray for Guidance & Clarity by holding this thought:
"Let me help them for their Greatest and Highest Good".

A lot of people are scared when they see the Devil card or the Death card.
I teach them that the meanings are certain things....not necessarily what they have been stereotyped to think they are.

The Devil card can mean many things: Sex/Power/Lust/Greed/Illusion...
The Death card means Transformation/Beginnings/Ends/New ways of sexuality.
The Lovers card can sometimes mean Choice and following your HEART and not your head.
I like to tell them that the Hanged Man card is sort of like the Tarot equivalent to emotional or event Constipation... it makes them laugh...
"See? He's OK...he's just STUCK...he isn't going anywhere right now"...
(Sometimes just like we are at certain points of our lives. It makes sense to them.)
 When someone new comes to me for a reading, I like to put them at ease, love them, teach them, help them.
Make them laugh. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the fun and the Magick!

My view with all this, is that my job is to be a "Poor Man's Counselor".
There is worth and dignity in that.

Remember that sometimes this is as close as this person may ever come to real counseling or help with this problem.

I want the person to leave my booth with a lifted attitude that they can change their stars, remove blockages and find a better way through their problems. To find HOPE in their situation. That they can turn their blockages (once they know what they are) and to alter their destiny when they alter their attitude.

Cards....
and a loving disposition....
can be a HUGE help to people in this way.
Have Fun!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting to hear that you just use the Major Arcana cards. They definitely DO "cut to the chase." I like your philosophy for doing readings; as much as I love the tarot and reading for others, I'm never comfortable with someone else reading for me. Sounds like you would be able to put me at ease, though! :-)

Harzgeist said...

Interesting post! I was given a set of cards by a very good friend, and up to now I've sort of been afraid to actually try them out. Since you said that you don't use the traditional reading with all cards, you kind of took away my fear of "getting it wrong", so to speak. Thank you for this!

Merlyn Mischief said...

Thank you for reading! Yes, it's a bit different, but you may like "The Love Tarot" that's out there which also only uses the idea of the Major Arcana. Have fun!

Anonymous said...

Hee Hee. I though I was the only one who chose not use cards I don't like. Lol. I just feel that some cards are quite repetitive and so I don't use them. I don't use reverse cards either. Talk about beating a dead horse! Lol. I also feel like I am doing nothing more than just another flavor of counseling that has props as opposed to the counseling I usually do. I have gotten so used to this thought that I often forget other people think we are all psychic or magical until someone says something along those lines. So it's nice to meet you! :)

Merlyn Mischief said...

Hi Sandi, welcome aboard! It's not that I "don't like" the other cards. I do. For my own readings I use the whole deck. But for reading others, this is my way...and it works.