This is the beginning of a short series quoted from my book, The Playing Card Oracles, A Source Book for Divination. The information could as easily be applied to any type of divination: Tarot, Playing Cards, I Ching, Runes, etc... I take a breath, open the book, and give to you, dear reader, this passage for today:
(From the sub-chapter, Asking the Question, p.109) "...One of the best ways to be of service (with the cards) is to help people phrase their concerns in a way that works in harmony with the nature of the cards. The Playing Deck, and oracles in general, function with profound, childlike simplicity and will reflect the inquiry in just such a manner. Complicated or ambiguously stated questions do not evoke the magic of the cards. Make sure the wording you choose is clear, simple, and direct, and the answer you receive will be the same. Beware of two-part questions disguised as a single inquiry. Break multi-faceted concerns down into components in order to get a clear response. If you're doing smaller readings, it's better to do separate layouts for each aspect of the question than to glob issues together." (to be continued next week..)
--Ana Cortez, The Playing Card Oracles - Painting by Remedios Varo
2 comments:
I always wonder... what to do when the querent wants a "general" reading, or when they refuse to disclose the question? Some querents think that it's the reader's obligation to "know" what they want to know, or to see in the problems that they are facing, without they needing to say it aloud...
How to properly ask the question in such cases?
Hi!
I am just about to post the next paragraph from the book that does talk about this question. I believe a "general" reading can be a really good one and can also bring up things that the querent was afraid to ask. The cards have a way of knowing what is "up." A good way to phrase the question in such cases is "What do I need to know right now?"
This is a little different than how I stated it in the book... I think my views have mellowed a bit over the years.
Thank you for the question <3
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