Changing Tastes

Isn’t it funny how our tastes can change over time? We start our card reading explorations drawn to certain types of decks. We may start with a Waite-Smith tarot, and find comfort in decks following that same pattern, or which are also illustrated such as the Robin Wood or Hanson-Roberts. After some time we may wake up and decide we prefer more realistic artwork. 

Waite-Smith 8 of Pentacles

 Or we find the Marseilles pattern to be “dullsville,” and some years later enjoy sinking our teeth into this classic pip pattern and it’s suddenly “coolsville.” Our interest in occult tarot decks like the Golden Dawn and Thoth may wax; our interest in making associations to kabbalah, astrology or i-ching may wane.

Thoth Tarot

The tarot audience was psychologically focused in the mainstream for some years, I think, coming out of the classic books in the 1970s. Now tastes have changed and predictive models and styles of reading cards are becoming acceptable again.

3 French Hens

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

3 French Hens

Oui, oui!

This post is inspired, of course, by number three — and relates to something you might not expect to read about here: breathing! Specifically, breathing to center before a reading.

Many readers have their own rituals before consulting the cards. This may be a formal set of actions, such as lighting a candle and saying a prayer of some sort; or informal, such as laying out a particular spread cloth and shuffling the cards. Some of you like to make a cup of tea (I’m coming over if you serve earl gray!), or lay out a bowl of water. Any action that is repeated consistently over time will become one that queues the right state of mind, due to the constant association. In NLP terminology this is an “anchor.”

I would like to offer a particular anchor that I use to start most of my work that requires going within: three breaths.